As the renovation of West Philadelphia’s Clark Park enters a new phase, The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with planners about the replacement of the park’s playground and the role Penn students can play in supporting the effort.
Plans to renovate the park, located within walking distance of Penn’s campus, date back to 2006. According to planning representatives, the group’s nonprofit — Friends of Clark Park — and the City of Philadelphia will finalize the proposal for the playground by the end of 2026, with construction slated to conclude in 2027.
“Clark Park is one of Philadelphia’s most vibrant and diverse public spaces, just a few blocks from campus,” Friends of Clark Park President Ben Sirolly wrote in a statement to the DP. “I’d love to see more Penn students engage as active participants in the broader West Philadelphia community—attending events, supporting local vendors, and contributing to neighborhood spaces through volunteering and community engagement.”
The renovation falls within the first of three construction phases outlined in the Clark Park Plan. Later this year, planners will gather input from community members at local block party events, where residents will be asked about what parts of the playground they hope to see improved.
Friends of Clark Park used similar methods for community feedback while drafting the initial plan for the park, which proposes a nature-based playground, rebuilt sidewalks, a new crosswalk, and a picnic grove.
University City District Director of Planning and Design Nate Hommel told the DP that the success of the first phase of the project will support the rest of the renovation.
“If the playground works and people love it, that will give us so much momentum to do the rest of the improvements along the way,” Hommel said.
In November 2025, Clark Park installed public bathrooms, another element of the renovation’s first stage. Hommel told the DP that the University City District and the Friends of Clark Park have selected the design firm Hinge Collective to lead the playground’s project.
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“It’s been 20 plus years since there was an overall master plan for the park, and the Friends group said we really need to do something,” he said.
Hommel also discussed how the project’s planners have prioritized community collaboration.
“We’re not trying to check a box here,” he added. “We really want the community to tell us what they want to see here at the Clark Park playground.”
The project was approved for $1.4 million in funding in August 2025. Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier — whose district includes Penn — allocated $561,000 of her office's capital funds to support the renovation project.
In a statement to the DP, Gauthier highlighted that the park “has been in desperate need of an upgrade for some time now.”
“It is my pleasure to financially support their master plan and other investments like sidewalk repairs, a new bathroom, and nature-based playgrounds,” she wrote.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) also helped the project secure a $500,000 state grant. A 2013 Engineering graduate, Krajewski wrote to the DP that “Clark Park is a truly beautiful jewel of the neighborhood,” adding that he hopes the grant will “help the park grow.”
“I know how easy it is to get stuck in the campus bubble and stress,” Krajewski wrote while describing the importance of spaces like Clark Park.
Hommel similarly explained how the improvements to the park will benefit all visitors, including Penn students.
“We want it to be an area of respite for people,” he said "We call it the beating heart of West Philadelphia.”
