Park Avenue Neighborhood Plan
​A Strategic Approach for Stabilization 
When Ingalls Planning & Design brought a multidisciplinary team of experts to the Park Avenue neighborhood in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, it was clear that developing a revitalization strategy was going to be a challenge. The neighborhood had suffered from decades of disinvestment, high levels of poverty, and low levels of community pride. This is evident in the data as well as its appearance. One of Williamsport’s most significant assets - UPMC Susquehanna, a regional medical center - is located here.   Over the course of a decade UPMC had acquired numerous blighted properties and demolished them leaving many neighborhood streets fragmented. The City of Williamsport and key local stakeholders, including UPMC, initiated a neighborhood planning process to revitalize the once vibrant neighborhood. However, it was evident that the neighborhood was not ready for revitalization. First, it needed to be stabilized. 

The Plan presents an over-arching strategic approach for the Park Avenue area. Based on the economic context and the principles for planning and decision-making, five priorities emerged as a framework for pursuing desired outcomes.  Each priority area includes an action plan with identified partners, funding, and a timeline. These priority areas for stabilization include:
  1. Establish a Coalition of Area Leaders and Stakeholders to Pursue Implementation
  2. Protect and Expand Clusters of Well-Maintained Housing
  3. Preserve and Maintain (but don’t Expand) Existing Stock of Income-Qualified Housing
  4. Integrate UPMC with the Urban Landscape to Benefit Both the Hospital and Residents
  5. Enhance Physical Connectivity and Sense of Connection to Downtown Williamsport