The place
Penn Treaty Park is a historic riverfront park in Fishtown, on the banks of the Delaware. It’s cared for by the Friends of Penn Treaty Park (FPTP) — a volunteer group that coordinates events, cleanups, and improvements while keeping the park free and open to everyone.
We met with Catherine Lowther, FPTP’s president, to listen first: what does the park need, and how can RoTaCo help bring the Friends’ ideas to light?
What the Friends are dreaming about
From those early conversations, a wishlist took shape:
- A native, fruit-bearing orchard — turning an underused corner into an outdoor classroom for workshops, in partnership with the Philadelphia Orchard Project.
- An expanding pollinator garden — and planting that draws the eye toward the park’s statue.
- Renaturalizing the riverfront edge — managing invasive species along the waterline and replanting with natives, especially the rough stretch between the beach and the fishing pier.
- A safer beach access point — reimagining a spot that’s currently hard to reach without climbing over riprap.
- Renaturalizing the recently cleared bike-trail area near the water.
How RoTaCo is helping
This is exactly the kind of work the collaborative was built for. We’re applying our three core services here:
- Design Translation — turning the Friends’ wants and on-site observations into clear, prioritized concepts.
- Design Visualization — sketching and rendering the orchard, the garden, and the waterfront edge so the whole community can picture it.
- Design Bridging — drafting schematic plans the Friends can use to petition for funding, volunteers, and professional services.
Our goal: real, incremental progress the neighborhood can see year by year — not a someday master plan that sits on a shelf.
Renderings and concept one-pagers coming soon. Want to follow along or pitch in? Get in touch.
