How can historic sacred places support civic engagement, social cohesion, and neighborhood equity?

The Philadelphia Tribune
Samaria Bailey | December 7, 2018

The Philadelphia Masjid said Tuesday it will move forward with plans of opening a vocational school and housing following the Infill Philadelphia: Sacred Places/Civic Spaces collaborative design.

The masjid was one of three historic religious sites chosen for the pro-bono design project, which connected architecture firms to the houses of worship, so they could reimagine and enhance their spaces as community hubs.

PlanPhilly
Kimberly Haas | December 5, 2018

Philadelphia has no shortage of lux condos carved out of historic churches but how about a grocery story with stained glass windows?

That was one of the ideas shared Tuesday at a grand reveal of conceptual designs through a competition run by Philadelphia’s Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places, a national nonprofit that works with congregations to repurpose underused religious buildings for community use.

The Philadelphia Citizen
James Meadows | October 16, 2018

The Annex saved Michael Major. In the mid-70s, when Major was a young teenager, his neighborhood in North Philadelphia was plagued by underperforming schools. Neither of his parents had graduated from high school, but they wanted their son to have better opportunities. The Annex, which was owned and operated by the Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, was an oasis when options for advancement for young adults felt few and far between.

Community Design Collaborative
Rev. Kirk Berlenbach | November 8, 2018

“What if we started to think about church buildings differently?  What if instead of the burden or inconvenience they might cause, we focused instead on their potential to make our community a better place?  What if we dared to ask, “Can these bones live?””

If you drive around Philadelphia for more than ten minutes, chances are you will come across a closed church.  Although they are sad to see, such shuttered or crumbling edifices are now so commonplace that many of us hardly notice.  If they enter our consciousness at all, it is only in terms of how such derelict building will impact our property value or if some developer is going to try and squeeze in as many condos as possible and make parking even more of a nightmare.   

Community Design Collaborative
Rev. Rebecca Blake | September 4, 2018

By Rev. Rebecca Blake, Pastor and Co-founder of Beacon

“If you had a 5,000 square foot building and large green space, what would you want to see in it that would benefit the neighborhood?”

I spent a lot of time asking that question as I met with neighbors, clergy, nonprofit directors, shop owners, and educators living and working in the Fishtown/Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia in 2011 when Beacon was at the brink of closing or reinventing itself.

Hidden City Philadelphia
Starr Herr-Cardillo | August 17, 2018

It has been just over three months since the kickoff of Infill Philadelphia: Sacred Places/Civic Spaces, an initiative led by the Community Design Collaborative (Collaborative) and Partners for Sacred Places (Partners) that launched in June.

The endeavor, funded by the William Penn Foundation, seeks to help local congregations “re-envision underutilized, purpose-built religious properties as community hubs” by pairing them with community partners and design teams that will work to creatively brainstorm ways to repurpose underutilized space in manners that engage the surrounding community.

Community Design Collaborative
Linda Dottor | August 15, 2018

Imagine… a culinary incubator for “foodie-preneurs,” affordable housing with a day program for seniors, a Night Market showcasing healthy food and live music, a women’s self-defense training center, or a basketball clinic where both kids and adults can raise their game.

Community Design Collaborative
Linda Dottor | August 7, 2018

Sacred Places/Civic Spaces got off to a strong start in May 2018 with a joyful launch that brought together 200 stakeholders in the future of Philadelphia’s historic sacred places. The energy we witnessed that evening continues. Here’s an update on what has happened since.

Hidden City Philadelphia
Rachel Hildebrandt | August 8, 2018

The leadership of Zion Baptist Church hopes to tap into the energy associated with Broad and Erie revitalization efforts that have been gaining momentum since Shift Capital’s announced that it will redevelop the long-blighted Beury Building. They hope to reactivate the annex in a way that aids in reenergizing North Broad, while benefiting the Nicetown-Tioga community.

WHYY
Susan Richardson | July 17, 2018

In short, Sacred Places/Civic Spaces is another step in using existing structures – both buildings and networks – to strengthen Philly neighborhoods. The project takes three sites around Philly and groups each one with a design firm and a social-service organization. Each team will work for six months on a model for civic space within the specs of what that particular building and neighborhood are like. Rather than simply trying to avoid a problem or react with a short-term fix – as so many faith communities have to do – it’s the chance to have the intention, time, and support to think about solid steps with longer-term potential.