Germantown Equity Strategic Planning

planning
book
Author

Tre Ambroise, Tianxiao Chen, Shuting Li, Sophie Maes, Brenna Schmidt, Mimi Tran, Evan Zhao

Published

April 25, 2023

If want to see the complete version of our planning, please check the link and see the full planning book.

Introduction

Located in Northwest Philadelphia, Germantown is a culturally vibrant, historic neighborhood with over 50,000 residents calling the neighborhood home. Germantown’s borders are roughly bounded by Wissahickon Ave. to the west, Johnson & Washington Streets to the north, Stenton Ave. to east, Wister Street to the southwest, and Roberts Ave to the south. Originally an independent township established in the 1680s by German-Dutch settlers, Germantown was incorporated into Philadelphia almost 170 years ago in 1854. Today, the residential neighborhood has retained its character, with its namesake Avenue being a vital component of Germantown’s distinct identity. However, with increasing development occurring in the neighborhood, Germantown is at several crossroads after being affected by decades of disinvestment, population decline, high crime, and economic downturns.