City Planners In Philadelphia Begin Work On A Blueprint For The Future

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – City planners are working on a massive blueprint, called 'The Philadelphia 2035 Comprehensive Plan', to help everyone shape the future.

The city planning commission had 20 staffers, including Alan Urek, the director of strategic planning and policy, looking into a crystal ball, "…the first time a draft citywide comprehensive plan for Philadelphia has been submitted to the commission since the 1950's."

Urek says their big picture look includes physical development, land use, transportation, as well as parks and recreation, to promote business growth and improve neighborhoods.

"We landed on an ambitious goal of 100,000 new people living in Philadelphia over the next 25 years and a commensurate amount of new jobs, at 40,000,"added Urek.

They've also developed 'legacy areas,' many of which are former industrial lands that are ripe for 'renewal and transformation.' They include the lower Schuylkill, the Navy Yard, the central Delaware waterfront, North Broad Street, and the Hunting Park area.

Reported By Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio.