POLICY DATABASE
Policy Summary

These policies allow for special types of city land use agreements, including those linked to community gardens. Policies allow for one year licenses for individual gardens, and licenses of up to 5 years for community gardens (which must be used for non-commercial purposes). These policies apply to the real property inventories owned by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, and the surplus inventory held by the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Property.

Background Information

State Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction Name Philadelphia
Jurisdiction Type City,
Population Size 800,000+
Legal Strategies
  • Requires something, sets standards
  • Creates an incentive for a change
Reach Limited scope
It is an administrative policy.
Food System Category Grow; Get;

Policy Details

Refers to priority populations?
Yes

Affordable housing projects (5); Creation of new infrastructure or support for existing infrastructure, to improve safety and mobility for children, seniors, and other pedestrians. (5,6)

Emergency management?
No
Health-related linkage?
Yes

Health Centers (5)

Environmental linkage?
Yes

Storm water management (5)

Economic linkage?
Yes

Guiding principles refer to a goal of eliminating blight, revitalizing communities, and strengthening the city's tax base (P. 1); another goal is " leveraging of previous public investments in infrastructure, job creation, and economic development "(p. 5); "Projects with the potential to spur additional private investment in underperforming commercial corridors, neighborhood centers, and areas of regional economic significance." ( p. 5)

Includes findings?
No

Has a stated intent or purpose?
Yes

This policy shall be used to promote and regulate the sale and use of city properties (Guiding Principles).

Includes definitions?
Yes

See page 8 (defining "individual garden" and "community garden") in text.

Addresses implementation?
Yes

Provides details pertaining to who may purchase and who may be sold to (p. 1 - 10); the City is responsible for reviewing requests for purchasing city owned property and either accepting or declining offers to purchase property. (p. 2,3)

Enforcement provisions?
Yes

To ensure that these expectations are met, the City will place conditions on land it conveys to achieve the agreed upon outcome and will follow up with a systematic review of these agreements after property has been conveyed. (p. 2)

Evaluation component?
No

Requires extra investment?
No

Code context and ordinance history

Uncodified administrative policy, Final version April 20, 2012

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