GUEST COLUMNISTS: The renaissance of University City

The recent uproar about safety issues has left many of us asking "Why is there so much crime in West Philly?" and "Will I really be safe walking around campus at night, even in a group?" We feel helpless and distressed. But what can we do? The University has been ineffective in helping students adapt to its urban campus. We have a false sense of what it takes to stay safe in a city like Philadelphia. In theory, for example, Escort service exists to prevent students from becoming crime victims. However, it contributes to crime by substantially decreasing the amount of student traffic on area sidewalks at night. Students who choose not to take Escort -- and community residents who do not have access to it -- become more susceptible. Our point is not to abolish Escort, but instead to seek alternative crime prevention strategies. Over the summer, Public Safety Managing Director Tom Seamon told Almanac that, "When the people who live and work in the community use the community, and they're out in the public spaces -- that's when you have true safety." As members of the Penn and West Philadelphia communities, it is imperative that we take steps toward reclaiming our neighborhood, making it safer not just for students, but also for area residents. Much of the fear associated with West Philadelphia can be attributed to its desolate nighttime appearance. As dusk approaches, people scurry to their homes and businesses close. Main streets like Walnut and Spruce have poor lighting and trash strewn on sidewalks and lawns. Criminology research shows that poor lighting and general uncleanliness are directly related to a community's crime rate. As West Philadelphia residents, we must be vigilant about keeping our community -- whether individual property and public spaces -- clean. One excellent example of how physical site improvement can lead to a safer and more lively environment is the renaissance of midtown Manhattan's Bryant Park. The park used to be a major hub for drug dealing, in part due to poor lighting and overgrown shrubbery, which created dark crevices that covered criminal activity. The park was architecturally redesigned by Robert Hanna and Laurie Olin, two adjunct Graduate School of Fine Arts professors. Now, it is a popular spot for young urban professionals to eat lunch or catch evening movies. Penn is capable of fostering this type of change in West Philadelphia. There is no reason why a thriving business district like the one that exists at 34th and Sansom streets could not also exist at 40th and Walnut streets. The University has the economic means and business savvy to entice businesses to invest in the West Philadelphia area. By offering tax, rent and renovation incentives, Penn could entice restaurants, national-chain clothing stores and a larger movie theater to locate near campus. These businesses would be likely to profit, since their target consumers would live within walking distance. More student traffic at night would make people feel safer walking around campus at night, while bringing revenue to and providing jobs for the community. By no means are we trying to ignore the reality of crime in West Philadelphia. But if the University as an institution -- and students, faculty, staff and West Philadelphia residents as individuals -- are serious about making this community a safe and lively place for years to come, we each have to do our part. We can start by improving the neighborhood's appearance. However, even if all of us stopped taking Escort tomorrow, and even if the University filled all of its vacant retail space in the next six months, we as a community cannot expect to see drastic changes in the random occurrence of violence unless we address the underlying causes of crime -- poverty, joblessness, inadequate education and lack of financial resources. We can't do this job alone. The University community must reach out to our West Philadelphia neighbors, to develop innovative and institutionalized programs that work in partnership to improve the quality of life for everyone.

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