Capstone: Ariel Koltun-Fromm

Community Housing for Strawberry Mansion

City neighborhoods are in a constant state of flux. Though urban change is necessary, it need not forget the memories of its past, and it certainly should not abandon or displace its residents. For the underprivileged Philadelphia neighborhood of Strawberry Mansion, rich in history but on the frontier of gentrification, this project asks, how can new housing development increase community autonomy? This research, in collaboration with residents of the neighborhood, seeks to create a community, rather than developer, model for housing, one where time, labor, and social networks become capital rather than cash. It asks who new housing should be designed to serve and how can it empower residents to remain and thrive in Strawberry Mansion rather than be pushed out.