Quirky Kensington looks to the past to revitalize the future

Sandy Salzman, Executive Director, New Kensington Community Development Corp.
 
Challenge: Philadelphia began a lengthy economic decline in the 1950’s as residents left en masse for the suburbs. By 1995, the city’s Kensington-Fishtown area had lost about half of its peak population and was saddled with 1,100 vacant lots and hundreds of vacant buildings.


 
In the 1950’s Philadelphia residents began heading to the suburbs en masse, marking the start of the city’s lengthy economic decline. By 1995, the city’s Kensington-Fishtown area had lost about half of its peak population and was saddled with 1,100 vacant lots and hundreds of vacant buildings. Neighborhood blight eroded residents’ quality of life, created an erosion of social cohesion and led to a loss in active civic engagement.
 
Since its founding in 1985, New Kensington Community Development Corp. (NKCDC) has approached neighborhood revitalization through real estate development, community engagement, housing counseling, vacant land management, neighborhood planning and economic development. NKCDC’s mission is to strengthen the area’s physical, social and economic fabric by being a catalyst for sustainable development and community building. Located in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, NKCDC draws on the strengths of the community to empower residents and promote resident-driven development.
 
Kensington has a long history as the working-class center of industry and production. The neighborhood early workers consisted of ship builders and fish traders along the Delaware River. Later, workers from textile and weaving factories moved in.
 
Decades of urban decline and deindustrialization had a deleterious effect on Kensington, however, presenting NKCDC with numerous challenges when the organization began its neighborhood redevelopment work.
 
Initially, NKCDC focused on rehabilitating vacant homes and providing housing counseling services to low- and moderate-income families. With neighborhood input, NKCDC over time expanded its focus on larger quality of life issues in the neighborhood. The agency’s priority became rebuilding Kensington’s social cohesion, with an emphasis on arts and community. Studies by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that violent crime rates were significantly lower in neighborhoods where residents reported that they knew and trusted their neighbors, and felt that neighbors were able to work together to solve problems.
 
Promoting the artist community and sustainability efforts are important neighborhood revitalization strategies for NKCDC, with evidence that they help encourage people to move in and invest in the neighborhood, improve neighborhood health and safety and put money in residents’ pockets.
 
The Kensington name has been reappropriated through a number of economic development and arts initiatives led by NKCDC to support Frankford Avenue and its burgeoning arts corridor. Vacant lots have been turned into gardens and green space, homes are being built and repaired, the neighborhood’s high school system has been reinvented and reformed and new residents and businesses -- including a rapidly growing arts community -- are moving in.
 
One of NKCDC’s more successful arts integration projects began nearly a decade ago; the community longed for a fun expression of local artistry and a resident-driven celebration.

Former staff member, Kathryn Doherty-Chapman, was an avid bicyclist who worked with local artists in her role as economic development assistant. She was familiar with “derby” events, and realized the opportunity to have one right in our neighborhood, with participation from bicyclists, welders and artists. Thus, the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby was born. Part design competition, part parade of human-powered vehicle floats, the derby started in 2007 as an economic development initiative of NKCDC to reintroduce the neighborhood to the larger region through an entertaining event highlighting the talents of local artists. From the derby’s success, NKCDC has learned not to underestimate seemingly wacky ideas by staff members.
 
Another lesson the agency learned was to think big and start small. Initially, NKCDC wanted the derby to be a way to showcase local arts and creativity with a neighborhood celebration -- and drew 500 attendees. As time went on, the agency recognized the derby’s potential as a tool for business attraction, and encouraged private investment and commercial activity during the event, which now draws over 15,000 people into the neighborhood each year.
 
There are a lot of moving parts to this all-day event, such as organizing derby workshops, throwing happy hours with local businesses, and getting permits to close the streets for the day. Neighbors who participate in the event work together to develop creative ideas, and in doing so, strengthening Kensington’s spirit of community. NKCDC has collaborated with the East Kensington Neighborhood Association’s Trenton Avenue Arts Festival, which takes place concurrently with the derby. The festival highlights the artist community by lining the streets with local art vendors.
 
A true sense of community is put on display during Kensington’s derby and art festival, which has gained notoriety and served as a place-making tool for the community. With over 52 zip codes represented, a large percentage of attendees come from outside the neighborhood and are seeing firsthand what strong community groups and local artists are capable of putting together. Kensington’s homegrown celebration is now famous citywide; the derby was named “Best Public Event” by Star Newspapers and “Best Festival” by Philadelphia Magazine.