Quality of Life Task Force

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In order to better address the community-based 40th Street Planning Principle "It's our house," which asks the Friends of 40th Street to "create and sustain the highest quality of public street life on 40th Street" (for a complete list of Planning Principles, click here), the Friends formed a Quality of Life Task Force in the spring of 2004. The Task Force includes two CDCs (Partnership CDC and People's Emergency Center), two Philadelphia Police districts (16th and 18th ), the University of Pennsylvania Office of Public Safety, faculty and administrators from Penn, University City District (UCD), local merchants, the Councilwoman, and local residents, including a significant senior citizens population. In its meetings, the Task Force examines the main concerns of the community, such as pedestrian safety, emergency help availability, street cleaning, merchant needs and crime levels.

Below are examples of new building facades, doors and signange that have been installed since the inception of the Quality of Life Task Force:

From left: (a) 4012 Market Street (before new stucco facade), (b) 4012 Market Street (after new stucco facade), (c) 4010 Market Street (before new doors and signage), (d) 4010 Market Street (after new doors and signange)

The objectives of the Task Force have been two-fold: (1) to make a positive difference in the atmosphere on the corner of 40th and Market Street by reducing crime, the perception of crime, and quality of life abuses, including trash, harassment, public urination, and loitering, and (2) to build on the changed environment to promote retail development and community arts activities along 40th St.

One Task Force project currently in the works is the distribution of 911-only cell phones for health and safety emergencies (click here for flyer and application). Over 550 phones have been donated thus far to the project, which has been conducted in coordination with Phones 4 Life (www.phones4life.com). The deadline for applications is Thursday, August 18.

Other work by the Task Force includes a merchant fact street to distribute to businesses in the corridor and a report card questionnaire to determine if there have been improvements in the Quality of Life of 40th Street community members since the inception of the Task Force.

Here is a list of recent participants in the Quality of Life Task Force:

Glenn Bryan, Office of Community Relations, U of PA

John Fenton, University City District

Captain Joseph Fischer, University of Pennsylvania Police Department

Ajamu Johnson, People's Emergency Center

Lucy Kerman, Office of the President, U of PA

John Leatherberry, West Powelton Community Association

Scott Maits, 40th Street corridor resident and transportation planner

Harris Sokoloff, Graduate School of Education, U of PA

Harris Steinberg, Penn Praxis

Matt Walker, The Partnership CDC