The Pop Ups for Purpose team is designing and building a temporary art installation to promote and raise awareness for the recently developed Frankford Gateway Conceptual Plan created by the Community Design Collaborative (CDC) for the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The installation focuses on the Lehigh Viaduct on Frankford Avenue, envisioning a welcoming gateway that promotes a sense of identity and safety for the area by implementing a lighting, painting, and planting scheme. Currently, the area under the viaduct acts as a barrier between portions of Kensington, which the team hopes to bridge through this installation. Through this effort, the team hopes to help the community envision and experience components of the conceptual plan, building momentum for the plan and supporting the residents’ vision.
The installation will be on display and promoted in concert with a neighborhood Community Day on September 12th, together with Somerset Neighbors for Better Living (SNBL), with the goal of drawing people to the space and getting additional input from residents on the vision. The installation will be paired with signage, wayfinding, and sculptural elements that will guide residents from the Community Day site to the viaduct underpass and highlight features of the site. Following the event, it is hoped that similar, more permanent amenities, will be funded for the area. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation will continue to guide forward the implementation of the plan, working together with the community.
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