Community Planner Ian Litwin shows Frankford resident Doris Booker some improvements the Planning Commission envisions for the neighborhood. Photo/Tiffany Goforth

In 1961, Jane Jacobs wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in which she proposed supporting neighborhoods’ use of community-based initiatives.

Fast-forward 50 years, and urban planners are taking her observations into serious consideration, as evidenced by the city’s comprehensive plan,  Philadelphia2035, to play up individual neighborhoods’ strengths and improve upon their obstacles to connectivity and access.

Within the next few years, the planning commission will complete 18 district plans, which will incorporate many of the themes and objectives found in the overall citywide plan.

Currently, only three of the 18 plans have been adopted. The most recent being the Lower Northeast District Plan, which includes Frankford, Northwood, Summerdale, Lawncrest and Oxford Circle.

Saturday, Lower Northeast District Plan Project Manager Ian Litwin, other consultants and city employees held a community visioning workshop at Aria Health-Frankford to discuss ways to make Frankford, a major transit hub, more accessible. continue reading »

Luke Dercole, right, is charged with buying guns for 16-year-old Michael Burak, left. Photo/Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams was in Oxford Circle today to announce the arrest of a straw purchaser who bought several guns for a teenager who used one of those firearms to shoot someone.

Luke Dercole, 32, is charged with illegal transfer, firearm not to be carried with a license, carrying firearms on public streets, possession of firearms by a minor and other charges. Dercole is accused of buying four guns fort he 16-year-old drug dealer. continue reading »

Michael Palumbaro holds his cat Lucky in his home in Oxford Circle. His pets, he says, keep his spirits up and contributed to his survival. NewsWorks Photo/Emma Lee

By 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of HIV-positive Americans will be 50 or older.

As better drugs keep HIV patients alive longer, patients and healthcare providers must juggle treating the virus and the host of other chronic illnesses that come with aging. continue reading »

Speed display signs in the northbound lanes of Roosevelt Boulevard at Oxford Circle. NewsWorks Photo/Tom MacDonald

Some new signs on the Roosevelt Boulevard are designed to stop the need for speed.

PennDOT has put up speed display signs at three overpasses on the Roosevelt Boulevard, said spokesman Gene Blaum, so drivers will see their speed and slow down. continue reading »

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office has announced charges against Philadelphia Police Officer April Shaynick for allegedly filing a false accident report and insurance claim in August.

Shaynick was involved in a crash at Van Kirk Street and Summerdale Avenue, according to the DA’s office, but fled the scene. continue reading »

Image/ Philadelphia City Planning Commission

There are two weeks left to comment on the draft plan for the Lower Northeast Planning District.

Presented at an August open house, the plan lays out long- and short-term goals for transportation, greenways, public health and other neighborhood factors in Frankford, Northwood, Summerdale, Lawncrest, Oxford Circle and part of Castor Gardens.

The comment period began in late August following a presentation to the City Planning Commission, and will close Oct. 1. Comments should be sent to ian.litwin [AT] phila [DOT] gov.

Here we go again.

Imagine waking up to the headline, “Oxford Circle Teen Stabbed.” Anyone who wakes up with NBC10 doesn’t have to imagine it. While Action News and Philly.com both managed to read their maps properly, NBC10 dished out misinformation in a Tuesday morning crime report.

A teenager stabbed on the 1200-block of Pratt Street in Frankford Tuesday morning. Yes, that block is near Oxford Avenue, which we’re guessing is where NBC10 went wrong. continue reading »

Image/Philadelphia City Planning Commission

One of many things on the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s agenda Tuesday is a review of the Lower Northeast District Plan.

Residents of Frankford, Northwood, Summerdale, Lawncrest, Oxford Circle and Castor Gardens got a preview last week of the plan that will be presented at the afternoon meeting in Center City. continue reading »

Image/Philadelphia City Planning Commission

In the lobby of a building filled with innovators, residents of the Lower Northeast District planning area gathered Tuesday to see the highlights of four months’ worth of ideas for Frankford, Summerdale, Lawncrest, Northwood, Oxford Circle and part of Castor Gardens.

The third and final public meeting for the planning district was set up as an open house at Frankford’s Globe Dye Works for residents to review the highlight of a plan that will be presented to the Philadelphia Planning Commission later this month. At the first two meetings, participants worked with city planners to identify their neighborhoods’ strength and weaknesses and develop suggestions for improvement. Transit, greenery and connectivity were themes that came up frequently.

continue reading »

The third and final planning meeting for the Lower Northeast District is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 7 at Globe Dye Works [map] in Frankford.

The first two meetings – held in April and June – called on residents, business owners and other invested community members to talk about their visions for Frankford, Northwood, Lawncrest, Summerdale, Oxford Circle and part of Castor Gardens. continue reading »