How can historic sacred places support civic engagement, social cohesion, and neighborhood equity?
Get to know Sacred Places/Civic Spaces:
A partnership between the Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places.
“Historic sacred places have long served as anchors in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. They stand out as beacons for their distinctive architecture, large gathering spaces, cultural significance, strong sense of community and charitable works. Currently, historic sacred places in Philadelphia are being presented with both challenges and opportunities, with hundreds of active congregations across the city acting as stewards of underutilized spaces.”
Sacred Places/Civic Spaces
was a partnership between the Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places to re-envision underutilized purpose-built religious properties as community hubs, adding the design and development community’s voice to a growing dialogue about the intersection between historic sacred places and communities. This initiative was created to demonstrate that underutilized space in historic sacred properties can be activated by congregations in ways that fulfill their missions and strengthen communities.
Sacred Places/Civic Spaces was made possible by the generous support of the William Penn Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
