West Center City Strategic Neighborhood Plan
Wilmington, DE
Tucked away between the office buildings and parking lots of downtown Wilmington, I-95, and the Amtrak rail line, West Center City is a downtown neighborhood whose proximity should be its greatest asset. It is a diverse community with a rich history, intimate neighborhood fabric, and two historic districts: Quaker Hill Historic District and Trinity Vicinity.
Despite these inherent advantages, West Center City has struggled to benefit from nearby revitalization and re-establish its former role as a dense, walkable community. Like most urban neighborhoods in the latter half of the 20th century, West Center City suffered population loss that was compounded by the construction of I-95 through neighborhoods and civic unrest in the 1960s. Decline and neglect, with its physical manifestations of vacancy, blight, and crime, have put a damper on the neighborhood’s potential.
But in the face of such challenges, intrepid community members see the possibilities within West Center City and are committed to tipping the balance toward positive change. Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware, along with the neighborhood’s civic associations and community groups, nonprofits and businesses, faith-based organizations, and residents, created a strategic plan for the future of this neighborhood.
Interface Studio, with Lamar Wilson Associates providing community facilitation, engaged the community in a grassroots visioning process that resulted in a resident-driven plan focused on the revitalization of the neighborhood through investments in people, in community supports, and in the physical place that hosts civic life. The plan’s recommendations focused on seven key areas that sought to promote the development of human capital, build a cohesive community, and create a clean, safe, attractive, and sustainable place where people and communities can thrive.
