The unveiling of the Lex Street Garden in May was the culmination of nearly two years of dedicated work I spearheaded through academically-based community service. It all began when community visionary Mr. Muhammad invited me to bring my longstanding placemaking class (CPLN6290 or 5820) in City and Regional Planning to the New Freedom District.

Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, Ph.D., addresses attendees at the Lex Street Garden event, celebrating the progress of the New Freedom District project and the power of community-driven urban change.

Matthew Kenyatta energizes the crowd during the Lex Street Garden celebration, emphasizing the importance of collaborative spaces like the New Freedom District in fostering urban change.

Matthew Kenyatta pays tribute to Mr. Abdul Rahim Muhammad as "Mayor of Lancaster Avenue"

Matthew Kenyatta pays tribute to Mr. Abdul Rahim Muhammad at the Lex Street Garden, part of the New Freedom District project, aimed at sparking urban change through collective action.

Ellen Neises hugs Abdul Rahim Muhammad as Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, Ph.D., passes the microphone during the Lex Street Garden event in the New Freedom District.

Ellen Neises of PennPraxis embraces Abdul Rahim Muhammad while Matthew Kenyatta, an advocate for community transformation through art and design, passes the mic during the New Freedom District’s Lex Street Garden build.

Custom-made wooden benches engraved with "New Freedom District" sit ready to be installed at the Lex Street Garden, a community space designed to spark transformation in the New Freedom District.

Handmade wooden benches engraved with "New Freedom District" await installation, embodying the vision of Matthew Kenyatta and collaborators to create lasting community-driven urban spaces.

Student team works to prepare the foundation of Lex Street Garden in the New Freedom District, a community transformation project guided by collaborative studio between Dr. Matt and PennPraxis

Volunteers lay the groundwork for Lex Street Garden, a key part of the New Freedom District’s effort to create innovative, community-oriented spaces that foster joy, justice, and genius.

David Seiter and Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, Ph.D., pose with shovels during the construction of Lex Street Garden, part of the New Freedom District community development project.

Landscape architect David Seiter of Future Green Studio and urban advocate Matthew Kenyatta collaborate during the Lex Street Garden build, working together to shape community-driven urban spaces for the New Freedom District.

Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, Ph.D., poses with the volunteer team after a day of building at the New Freedom District’s Lex Street Garden, a space designed to inspire community transformation.

Matthew Kenyatta and landscape architecture faculty David Seiter and Aaron Booher and student volunteers celebrate their progress after a full day of building the Lex Street Garden, an initiative dedicated to promoting urban change through collective action in the New Freedom District.

A collection of stencils and flyers for the New Freedom District and Lex Street Garden, created to engage the community and promote the development of local heritage trails.

Stencils and promotional materials for the New Freedom District and Lex Street Garden emphasize community engagement and the creation of heritage trails, as part of Matthew Kenyatta’s vision for urban transformation.

Google search rankings for the stigmatized West Philadelphia Lex Street Garden location showing associations with a "massacre" in 2001 over a drug conflict.

When PennPraxis approached me about using Studio+ to accelerate New Freedom District planning, I was ready. Drawing from the successful pilot courses I had run, I provided over 30 contacts and led multiple site tours for the Landscape Architecture studio. Working alongside a select group of my planning students, we identified locations where the Studio+ team could create something lasting in just one semester.

I ensured seamless collaboration between my course and theirs, organizing joint sessions to plan community workshops at the nearby Community Education Center. As the design work intensified, I became a regular presence at their crit sessions, offering insights and guidance.

My involvement wasn't limited to the academic sphere. I rolled up my sleeves and volunteered in the physical labor of building the park and promoting the unveiling event. When the big day arrived in May, I found myself serving as an impromptu host for the celebration, working alongside the PennPraxis staff to ensure its success.

This project wouldn't have been possible without the invaluable contributions of Aaron Booher and David Seiter from FutureGreen Studio, who co-taught and led the park's construction. Their expertise was crucial in bringing our shared vision to life.

While the Lex Street Garden was taking shape, I was simultaneously guiding a team of three research assistants and four students in creating the 2023 New Freedom District Cultural Plan. This comprehensive document, published just a month after the park's unveiling, further solidified our commitment to the district's growth and cultural significance.

The Lex Street Garden stands as a testament to the power of academic-community partnerships and the transformative impact of dedicated, collaborative effort. It represents not just a physical change in the neighborhood, but the culmination of years of relationship-building, strategic planning, and hands-on work to create meaningful change in the New Freedom District.