The Porch at 30th Street Station is a public space in Philadelphia that was created from underutilized land and parking spaces. The University City District, a partnership that improves economic vitality and quality of life in West Philadelphia, carefully planned the effort.
At the end of the project, University City District and Interface Studio performed a six-month site usage study which revealed that shade was integral in how patrons engaged with The Porch and particularly as temperatures increased.
Lesson 1: First, make friends. Then, make great public space
Lesson 2: Every desert needs an oasis.
Lesson 3: Launch. Test. Measure. Fail. Tinker. Succeed. Repeat.
Lesson 4: The end is just the beginning (and maybe even life changing).
Lesson 5: Imitation is the best form of flattery.