People call it “the Miracle on Seventh Street.” Between a brownstone church, a superblock apartment house, and a scattering of rowhomes, two North Philadelphia pastors built a 56-unit  green-roofed, 55,000 square-foot “cyber village” that offers low and moderate-income seniors an affordable and engaging place to live.

Rev. Martha Lang and Rev Mary Lou Moore, pastors of Mt. Tabor AME Church and leaders of Mt. Tabor Community Education and Economic Development Corporation, were the driving force behind the creation of the Cyber Village.

Rev. Mary Lou Moore, PhD, and Rev. Martha Lang

Read Full Story

Who could have predicted that in the midst of a recession year, the Collaborative would be recognized at more nonprofit ground-breaking ceremonies than ever before?

Celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of our volunteers, nonprofits and civic associations who have dedicated their time to strengthening neighborhoods through design:

You understand the value of the Community Design Collaborative’s work in Philadelphia neighborhoods.  Here’s a simple way you can impact both. Make a donation before October 13th and you will help save paper and postage!

The Collaborative thanks you!

A conceptual masterplan for revitalizing Seger Park.

The Collaborative has started work on its next round of service grants awarded to Friends of Seger Park Playground, Libertae, Mariposa Food Co-op/A Little Taste of Everything and Philadelphia Rooftop Farm(PROOF)/New Society Educational Foundation.  Our nonprofit clients have a range of design needs and serve their communities in diverse ways, from providing social services to supplying nutritious food. Read Full Story

Last Friday was the culmination of a home-building project that has taken five years. Three families from West Philadelphia receive the keys to their new LEED-certified houses, built by Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia. The Wright, Wanamaker and Seawright families each dedicated 350 hours of sweat equity to building their homes.

These homes are part of a seven-unit affordable housing development designed to have low energy costs. In 2005 The firm of WRT and the Energy Coordinating Agency donated pro bono design services worth over $21,000 to perform a feasibility study for the project and develop a sustainable design that would be consistent with the fabric of the surrounding neighborhood. The Collaborative is proud to have contributed to the design of this groundbreaking project.

Take a look at a slideshow

The June 2009 issue of grid features Jerome Shabazz

Check out the latest issue of grid magazine for a feature story on the Overbrook Environmental Education Center, a 2005 Community Design Collaborative project. The  Collaborative’s early design assistance helped founder Jerome Shabazz plan and fund eco-friendly improvements to turn this former granite quarry into an urban environmental learning center.

Also, Collaborative volunteer Allison Kelsey shares her recipe for Smashed Potatoes and Broccoli in the In Season section.

grid can be found in the AIA Bookstore.

A sunny outlook on North Seventh Street.

Affordable housing doesn’t have to be boring! Mt. Tabor Cyber Village Senior Housing in East Poplar has a colorful contemporary design that looks a lot like neighboring NoLibs. This affordable apartment complex offers its senior residents multiple ways to stay connected: a cyber café, garden, green roof, and fitness center.  Join us on Thursday, July 16 at 6 p.m. for a tour of Mt. Tabor Cyber Village, followed by drinks at The Swift Half, Piazza at Schmidts.  Read Full Story

Image courtesy of SMP Architect, Viridian Landscape Studio, and Meliora Environmental Design.

Greenfield Elementary School picked an instructive day to celebrate the groundbreaking of Greening Greenfield, its innovative project to “unpave” and plant its playground.  The week began with a commuter-hour cloudburst, and the all-day forecast called for thunderstorms mixed with “isolated storms”.  Luckily, this project’s all about managing stormwater. Inga Saffron explains the connection between Greening Greenfield and Philly’s new resolve to capture stormwater runoff in today’s Changing Skyline column. Hopefully, Greening Greenfield will be the first of many projects that exchange concrete and asphalt for permeable surfaces. Read Full Story