Listening First
This past June marked a few firsts for me — my first time exploring Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, a small downtown and borough just west of Harrisburg, and my first time participating in a TAP (Technical Assistance Panel) as a panelist with ULI PHL.
For years, ULI Philadelphia has “harnessed the multidisciplinary expertise of its members to help communities solve challenging land use, development, and redevelopment issues on behalf of government agencies and community-based nonprofits.” This particular TAP was focused on Downtown Camp Hill, and through a two-day charrette, we put our walking shoes on, put our brains together, and dug deep into our expertise to help provide strategies for the committee’s latest challenges.
Photo by Christina Chavez
The biggest challenge was putting assumptions aside.
The biggest challenge was putting assumptions aside. It’s easy as a designer to look at a problem and simply say “you need this” or “it would be cool if you had this,” but assumptions can be dangerous. I found that as our powerhouse team of collaborators listened, we learned that one size does not fit all — what works for one downtown may not be the best for the next. Revitalizing a downtown shouldn’t rely solely on best practices. It's the unique assets of a place that become memorable, and we should always seek to develop customized approaches for each project.
This begins with listening. In our two-day TAP, we experienced Downtown Camp Hill, we listened to stakeholders and community members, and we put boots on the ground to soak up all that Camp Hill had to offer. We developed a strategy that not only included a multi-disciplinary approach, but we leaned into the local character to create a roadmap for Camp Hill that is individually theirs — celebrating the best parts of the downtown area.
As ULI PHL works diligently to consolidate our findings into their regional report (coming soon), I would encourage everyone take a deeper dive into previous TAP reports. It was an incredible experience participating this past month, and I’m looking forward to a continuing relationship as a panelist — I’m hoping to extend my experience to the next downtown. A big thank you to ULI Philadelphia for inviting me and I can’t wait to do it again.