If you read PhillyUrbanLiving.com regularly, and have kept up with most of my past posts, I mentioned this plan back in 2011 with the title, “Will industrial jobs come back to Philadelphia?”

Well, all I can say is that the city is planning for it; which is a good thing.

In recent years, maybe it was the foresight of the Nutter administration or maybe it was just good timing, I truly feel like the City of Philadelphia is really starting to map out its future … by planning for it. Not only with the help of local experts, but with citizen input as well. Planning for the Central Delaware Waterfront and Philadelphia 2035, are just a few examples of large-scale Philadelphia planning in action.

But why is this plan important enough to blog about?

I think the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan may be one of the most important visions to come about in recent years. Not only for the prospect of it actually happening, but because it connects South/Southwest Philadelphia neighborhoods to Center City and University City (neighborhoods that have laid dormant for years, since Philadelphia’s industrial might left town). Therefore, I find that this plan is extremely important for both local jobs and the future strength of those neighborhoods.

It’s a good read, so if you’re super into the details, take some time and see what Philadelphia has planned for the lower banks of the Schuylkill River.