Three-Year Greening Plan
Read the original roadmap shaped by residents, outlining their priorities and PHS's strategies.
Nicetown and Tioga Greening Plan
In two North Philadelphia neighborhoods, PHS is working alongside residents to create greener spaces and bring their vision for healthier, more beautiful neighborhoods to life.
A Greener Future, Shaped by Residents
The people who know a neighborhood best are the people who call it home. That’s why the PHS Nicetown and Tioga Greening Plan began by listening to residents and learning what matters most to them.
Working with Nicetown CDC and Tioga United, PHS gathered input from more than 400 residents to develop a shared vision for these two neighborhoods. Together, they identified four priorities:
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Reduce trash and litter
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Increase access to fresh healthy food
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Reduce crime
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Increase job opportunities
Guided by a resident-led “Green Team,” the plan puts gardening to work through five strategies:
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Clean and green all eligible vacant lots
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Train and place neighborhood residents in green jobs
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Restore neighborhood tree canopy
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Expand access to fresh, healthy food through local partnerships
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Support residents to garden and beautify their blocks
See What We've Grown Together
The first phase of the Nicetown and Tioga Greening Plan turned residents’ ideas into visible improvements across both neighborhoods. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished together from 2022 to 2025.
3,615
Work opportunities created through the Same Day Work and Pay program
1.2
Million sq. ft. of land cleaned and greened across 643 vacant lots
400
Trees planted at schools, churches, and homes
8
Gardens supported with $100K+ in infrastructure improvements
Explore the Nicetown and Tioga Greening Plan
Discover how residents and partners came together to shape a greener future for Nicetown and Tioga, and see the results of their work.
Phase 1 Fact Sheet
A snapshot of the accomplishments and improvements made across both neighborhoods from 2022 to 2025.
Phase 2: Building on What We've Grown
Thanks to a $1.15 million, four-year grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, PHS and neighborhood partners are building on the success of the first phase of the Greening Plan.
Together with residents, we’ll bring new life to vacant lots and make existing green spaces more welcoming with additional plantings, solar lighting, signage, and fencing improvements. We’ll also continue the popular Curb Appeal Challenge, support neighborhood leaders in bringing their ideas to life, and learn more about how greener spaces can help neighbors connect and feel safer where they live.
Thank You to our Funders
Funding for creating the plan and its first steps has been provided by the City of Philadelphia Division of Housing and Community Development, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Independence Foundation, the Philadelphia City Council, Vistra, Robin Potter (former chair, PHS Board of Directors), Peter Gould, Toba and Lawrence Kerson, Anne Stokes Hochberg, The Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation, the Frank L. Coulson and Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation, the Anne G. Miller Trees Endowment, the Armstrong Foundation, the Leo Model Foundation, National Fair Housing Alliance, the Burpee Foundation, and the Joan M. Wismer Foundation.
