Had a chance to spend some time in Waterfront South this weekend, and stopped by both the Michael J. Doyle Fishing Pier and Phoenix Park. I talk a lot in this space about development that actively or unintentionally excludes residents, but I think it’s important to also highlight the moments when development, public spaces, and the like are inclusive, and the potential that comes from that type of development. One of my favorite examples of this type of development is the Michael J. Doyle Fishing Pier. 

Tucked at the end of Jackson St., along the water near Ferry Ave, whenever I stop by the fishing pier it feels like residents have found a new creative way to use it. There are, of course, people fishing off the dock. In the summer, people grill at the pier. This Sunday, someone had set up a tent and TV, and a handful of folks were watching the Eagles game. 

It feels like there are always residents there. That they genuinely have taken ownership of the space. And that it gets used. That’s hard to do well, and worth recognizing when it works. 

I left wondering what exactly it was that made the space work. Here’s what I came up with (but curious to hear your thoughts too): 

1. Accessibility. Sometimes it’s hard to make space accessible in Camden, and it’s not always clear that the traditional urbanist tools work in quite the same ways in Camden. It’s great to have bike-able, walkable spaces — but it’s also reasonable to acknowledge that there isn’t always a strong culture of biking and walking, often with justification. Take it from me, as a biker in the city, the poor road infrastructure can be hard on a bike (something worth organizing to change!). And Camden residents have their own rules about safety and walking.
   
   The fishing pier seems to work in part because it is convenient to access by car. There is parking. That actually opens up a whole host of different uses, as residents bring tents, grills, even TVs to the pier. That brings me to the second major factor making the pier good development: 
2. The Culture. It sounds simple, but spaces get used better when there is intention put into their uses. Someone mentioned this in the comments of my post on RCA Pier Park. They highlighted that the physical space made things residents might want to do even harder. The Michael J. Doyle Fishing Pier is small, but it’s design makes a couple of uses such as fishing and grilling really easy. And the location, with access right up to the water so that even on hot days it gets a fantastic breeze, helps. These little things make a difference — often designers are worried about stopping illicit uses, and by doing so they often crowd out community uses as well. Which brings me to my third thought: 
3. Community Ownership. One of the things that is clear about the pier is that the community feels ownership over the space. I, personally, wouldn’t think to bring a tent and a TV to watch a football game to my local park. It’s amazing that in South, residents do. I believe the pier is open 24/7, which also speaks to the way a relaxed enforcement environment can really work when there is community buy in. Go to the google maps page for the pier, and you’ll pictures of people couples coming at night to take selfies with the skyline in the background. That’s special, and it speaks a lot to the sense of community in this neighborhood. But it’s also an example of how starting with community building can strengthen the way public spaces are used — when it works, community that feels ownership over these spaces can lead to all kinds of creative uses that make the space more popular. They can be open later and be a place for selfies. They can be a place to watch football on Sundays. Community begets better use. 

Those are just a few of my thoughts about one of my favorite places in Camden. If you want to share yours (your thoughts about the pier, or your favorite places!) drop them in the comments. Or even consider submitting a guest post. 

Tags: good development, Michael J. Doyle Fishing Pier