Revive and Thrive

Revive and Thrive

Thomas Jefferson University’s Park in a Truck program, Circular Philadelphia, Trash Academy, and Glitter are partnering with the community to transform a vacant lot as a pilot project to activate open spaces in Philadelphia and address local dumping behaviors.

Through the supported community transformation of a single vacant lot, the project will test low-threshold, inexpensive improvements of an unused lot that can model scalable approaches to neighbor-led vacant lot revitalization. By using sharing and reuse practices, art-based engagement, and participatory design, the project aims to demonstrate how underutilized land can be reimagined as shared community assets. Donation-based materials and events and hands-on activation days will supplement the process, creating opportunities for neighbors to contribute materials, labor, and ideas—while also generating awareness about dumping, environmental justice, and the power of collective stewardship.

How Revive and Thrive Supports the Project

Circular Philadelphia will provide technical leadership for the acquisition/permission to use the lot.

Park in a Truck offers guidance on potential uses for a lot—such as flea markets, pumpkin patches, pollinator gardens, composting and recycling stations, community fridges, food distribution sites, event spaces, and passive recreation areas. The program also provides instructions for building park elements like benches, sheds, trellises, and raised vegetable beds.

Trash Academy Provides 3 teach-in’s and knowledge sharing workshops around illegal dumping. They include documenting (mapping, photographing and story collection) dumping at that site and in the surrounding neighborhood,  understanding the drivers of the dumping, and sharing solutions and best practices to end the dumping.

Glitter takes an innovative approach to tackling the litter and trash crisis in Philadelphia through a neighbor-funded weekly block cleaning subscription service. Through pay-what-you-can and grant-subsidized services, Glitter makes this personalized service accessible and affordable. Glitter will take quantitative measures of the amount and locations of litter in the selected area and conduct weekly clean-up efforts throughout the project.

All of these supports are funded through the grant.

Criteria for Project Selection

Personnel – Two neighbors (community managers) who are able to steward the project, and communicate and lead the community. Experience working with the community is preferred. Demonstrated means to recruit young people to become park ambassadors.

Size and condition of the lot – it should not require regrading or extensive clean up requiring heavy machinery

Programmatic – Feasibility of the idea for the lot, if there is already an idea for the lot (it is absolutely not required)

Preference for lots in communities with pervasive dumping.

Capacity for ongoing maintenance if applicable to idea stated.

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Personnel and Programmatic Expectations for the Applicant

Community Managers – The Buddy System

We encourage people to work in pairs to manage the project. Making a change in your neighborhood can be playful and imaginative, but require a time commitment. Through experience, we’ve learned that projects are more fun and much easier to make happen with the buddy system.

Community Managers Total Budget: $8000 ($4000 per person) Spring 2026 – Fall 2027

Community Managers will have a lead role in planning the project logistics, overseeing day to day community organizing, outreach and engagement for community participation, overseeing Park Ambassadors ( see below), and will join the Thrive and Revive team to attend and debrief the three Trash Academy events. Community managers work directly with Kim Douglas(Park in a Truck).

Park Ambassadors (age 12 and up) Total Budget: $3000 ($1500 per person) Spring 2026 – Fall 2027

The Park Ambassador is advocate, educator, and liaison for the community’s Revive and Thrive project. Their role is to ensure the success of the initiative by creating an environment in the ‘park’ that welcomes the community and manages the maintenance and programs. The Park Ambassador provides information on the grant’s purpose, provides weekly maintenance, assists in education on illegal dumping issues and helps in programming events. Park Ambassadors work directly with the community managers.

How the Lot Design Process Works: A flexible and fluid process tailored to the community

0 – (pre-design process) Trash Academy illegal dumping mapping and story collection
1 – Listening session
2 – Brainstorm ideas- what do we want the lot to be?
3 – Design selection
4 – Build starts
5 – Maintenance

Timeline

Fall 2025 – Lot selection and permissions
Early spring 2026 – The design process
Summer 2026 – Build

Once the Project Has Concluded

Once the project is built the transformed, the lot remains a community asset. Stewardship typically shifts to local residents, community groups, or a designated partner organization. The goal is to ensure the space continues to serve the neighborhood—whether as a gathering place, garden, or resource hub—through ongoing community care, with support structures in place for maintenance, programming, and sustainability.

Once the grant is completed some of the support structures include TJU’s continued help with grant funding and donations when possible.

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Application Deadline and Process

Deadline: Monday, August 25, 2025, 9:00 a.m.
Applications can be submitted using the application form below.
A one-on-one meeting will be scheduled with top applicants.

Questions

If you have any questions or if you want more information, please contact reviveandthrive@circularphiladelphia.org and put Revive and Thrive in the subject line.

We are holding an information session in Spanish and English on how to fill out the application on Monday, August 11, 2025 on Zoom at 6:00 PM. RSVP to cleanphillynow@trashacademy.org and put Revive and Thrive Application Support in the subject line. You will be sent a Zoom link.

In order to receive support, you must agree to the following conditions:

• Make a commitment to implement the project through to completion including attending all meetings and events.
• Attend final lot activation gathering and celebration to share what you’ve learned with others.
• Be willing to be interviewed (press, social media, final report) and have your project photographed.

The Review Committee

The review committee includes representatives from frontline communities impacted by dumping along with two professionals from Park in Truck and Circular Philadelphia.

Complete Application

Please use the form below to submit an application to Revive and Thrive.