Philadelphia, PA

From 2015-2019, PolicyLink worked to expand the equity policy impact in five cities and one county by utilizing arts and culture strategies to win structural change for those communities. Village of Arts and Humanities in Philadelphia worked to anchor 100 families, with 100 homes and 100 jobs for 100 years in a disinvested community threatened by gentrification. From 2016-2020 PolicyLink supported the Fairmount Park Conservancy to research and document their work with the ArtPlace America Community Development Investments program. Also, building the Philly Rail Park on a former railroad right-of-way has had serious implications for the cultural and economic stability of Chinatown, and a recent report by PolicyLink with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation explores the risk of displacement, the potential for “value-capture” of new wealth generated by the park, and the importance of preserving this unique neighborhood.