Joseph Peters - Project Manager

The Municipality of Norristown

Norristown Planning Commission
123 Main Street
Norristown, PA 19401

Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

May 8th, 2013
Introduction
Norristown, Pennsylvania is an older main street community that continues to
struggle with economic development. It has yet to find an effective approach to retain
business and to attract new ones. The resulting negative economic climate condition affects
all its citizens along with those in surrounding areas. Norristown needs to envision
innovative planning efforts and seek new creative projects that are strategically designed to
benefits its citizens for many future generations. Such a novel planning achievement would
place an emphasis on creating jobs, improving quality-of-life, and increasing tourism for the
municipality.

Norristowns Economic Development Issues

Presently, the borough is struggling with the long standing negative perception that
the town in not an ideal location for prosperous business. For example, in the summer of
2012, the Montgomery Hospital, which had a 123-year history and was Norristowns largest
private employer closed its doors. (Rotenberg, 2012) The now vacant hospital complex adds
to the collection of blighted properties in Norristown. Norristown has not sat idle but has
tried to turn around its fate. In 2009, the municipality of Norristown and Montgomery
County contracted Urban Partners to assess the situation, which resulted in the publication
of Norristown Economic Revitalization Strategy (NERS) report. This report contain a
laundry list of 30 projects that were designed to be more than just bricks and mortar and
set out to address a wide range of quality-of-life issues that affect Norristowns
neighborhoods and businesses (Urban Partners).
While the NERS plan set out to address quality-of-life issues, much of Norristowns
current planning strategy is invested in traditional ideas such as infrastructure. For example,
on February 7th 2013, the Montgomery County Commissioners approved a long-standing
initiative called the Lafayette Street Extension Project.This infrastructure project, which is
listed as number two on the NERS list of High Priority Initiatives, was coordinated by
PennDOT and the Montgomery County Planning Commission and has as its major goal to
alleviate traffic congestion in and out of downtown Norristown. This described project has
been on the books for over a decade with a cost of 60 to 100 million dollars.(DeHuff, 2013)

Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

It may take many more years to know if this investment will improve the local economic and
quality of life issues in Norristown.
The NERS report further confirms negative town health with the following data. In
2007, U.S. Census data gathered showed that and estimated 17% of Norristown families
lived below the poverty level, compared to just 3% of the families in the entire Montgomery
County when measured as a whole (Urban Partners). Furthermore, this specific report
shows a housing and income deficiency in Norristown with 40 to 50 percent of the
Montgomery Countys Section 8 vouchers used in the Municipality of Norristown.
Norristowns ability to generate real estate tax is also hampered because an estimate of
approximately 25% of the total assessed value in the Municipality is tax exempt. These
statistics are evidence that significant uphill challenges remain for Norristown.
While Norristown appears to be on the decline, the Delaware Valley Regional
Planning Commission has projected that Montgomery Countys population will increase by
an additional 10,000 ever five years from 2010 until 2040(DRVPC, 2013). Unfortunately, as
Norristown council president Gary Simpson recently commented A lot of people forget
about the first suburbs, the areas where everybody moved to when they wanted to get out of
the city. We want to see people come back to the first suburbs.(Davis, 2013). In order to
capture a portion of Montgomery Countys projected population growth and associated
economic development the borough of Norristown needs to establish new economic
development strategy now.

Policy statement
In order to change its course, Norristown should adopt a progressive planning
strategy of quality-of-life creation. Consequently, Norristown should support a project based
on this strategy such as a mural arts program with policy objectives such as increasing jobs,
quality-of-life, and tourism. Much of a quality-of-life planning strategy involves making a
community attractive to live and building a creative class economy. A creative class economy
is based on Richard Floridas theory of economic development that suggests economic
growth is linked to the presence of creative people who wish to settle in areas that are
diverse, tolerant, and open to new ideas. Floridas theory contrasts from traditional theories
of economic development mainly by the beliefs that regional growth comes from attracting
companies, educated people, and creating conglomerate industries.(Moore, Meck, Ebrnhoh,
2006)

Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

Policy Analysis
Economic Development
Strategy

Jobs

Quality-Of-Life

Tourism

Status Quo: Infrastructure

(Project: Street Extension)

Low

Low

Low

Alternative #1: Quality-Of-Life

(Project: Mural Arts Program)

High

High

High

Norristown desperately needs to foster the creation of new jobs and retain those that
exist in the Municipality. A mural arts program for Norristown would do wonders for job
creation. Murals are historically known to add visual appeal and beauty that goes above and
beyond a simply functional aspect of the built environment. This uniqueness and diversity
would help attract Richard Floridas description of the creative class. In addition to
beautification and helping to foster the creation of a creative class, mural arts can create
direct jobs and indirect jobs. Direct jobs creation is to be expected in the form of required
artist, teachers, organizers, fundraisers, and volunteers. For example the Philadelphia Mural
Arts program, began in 1984, employs artists from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and
experience levels. The Philadelphia based programs also seeks out manpower from its
criminal justice system. More specifically it provides ex-offenders and inmates with social
and basic education skills that help develop the soft skills employers desire today. The annual
numbers of local individual involved is large with 2,000 youth, 400 inmates and ex-offenders,
and 300 professional artists. Thus, the potential for new long-term jobs under a mural arts
programs and a quality-of-life strategy is high. This is in direct contrast with the
Norristowns current infrastructure strategy that relies on construction jobs, which do
provide economic benefits, but only until their often lengthy completion. In addition,
construction these jobs are not always sourced from within the municipality. Therefore the
long-term job outlook based on the Norristowns status quo planning strategy is Low.
A mural arts program Norristown can also provide significant quality-of-life
improvements for its citizens, businesses, and organizations. Quality-of-life is usually
described as the various sometimes intangible factors that make a community attractive to
live.(Moore, Meck, Ebrnhoh, 2006). Some examples of these factors given by readers of
Money magazine include new business potential, good schools, recent job growth, museums
nearby, and low crime rates.(Moore, Meck, Ebrnhoh, 2006; Figure 4-3, Source Smith and
Nance-Nash 1993, cited in Segedy 1997). If a mural arts program in Norristown improves
any or all of these, it would have a High impact on the town perceptions and its quality-oflife factors. Already having discussed the job creation benefits, other quality-of-life factors
such as crime rates and schools are likely to increase by supporting a mural arts program in
Norristown. The Philadelphia Mural Arts program was originally created to reduce graffiti
and subsequent blight issues. Today it has evolved into a great example as this case study
highlights the inclusion of a youth support structure that empowers these individuals to
create beautiful public works of art. This program which began as an experiment for antiRecommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

graffiti is now nationally recognized as a model for replication as a high contributor to social
change and improved quality-of-life. (NEA, 2010) For example, a graduate of the
Philadelphia Mural Arts Program explained how the program help him from being just
another juvenile delinquent into a civil and productive member of society.(Solano, 2012)
At this time, it is imperative that we plan to address Norristowns quality-of-life
factors because the present planning initiatives do not directly address these fundamental
community issues. Based primarily on large infrastructure projects, current planning
initiatives have had a Low influence on business retention, jobs creation, schools, museums
nearby, and crime rates. For a fraction of the costs of a street expansion, a new mural arts
program in Norristown could be funded on yearly basis and significantly contribute to
improve local quality-of-life factors. Lastly, citizens of a community identify with local
murals because murals tell the story of the people themselves and often on a heroic scale.
(Cockcroft, 1977) In Sum, we seek to improve the quality-of-life for the community of
Norristown and spread this message outwards and attracting visitors to Norristown as a
tourist destination. Not only can such an alternative planning strategy improve quality-of-life,
in can also increase tourism.
Lastly, the creation of a mural arts program for Norristown would improve tourism.
Arts and culture initiatives are known to add value to the tourism industry of a given place
by rooting it in the authenticity of place and leveraging a regions unique culture.(NGA,
2001) Having urban murals that express Norristown, its citizens, and unique culture are High
factors that contribute to an expected increase in tourism. A Report from the National
Governors Association(2001) suggests that the arts are emerging as a potent force and
economic life of cities. For example, Philadelphia Pennsylvania has played an integral part in
the creation of the avenue of arts on Broad Street. This city supported arts program helped
to establish Philadelphia as a premier regional cultural destination. This specific art district
contains cultural organizations and businesses that have generated at least 157 million in
revenue annually and support 2,800 full-time jobs and over 1,000 part-time jobs.(NGA,
2001) The National Governors Association reports continues to give numerous examples on
the state level that support boosted tourism by leveraging the arts and culture of a
community.(NGA, 2001) Current planning strategies do not address tourism in Norristown.
With their high price tags one would expect associated increased tourism to be generated
from such brick and mortar projects. The status quo planning strategy remains committed to
supporting major infrastructure which have had a low level effect increasing tourism, new
residents, and businesses. A city supported arts programs on the other hand has been shown
to have a high impact on a given towns tourism.

Recommendations
At this point in time, it would be wise to establish a dialogue with Norristowns
citizens and stakeholders about the potential for a quality-of-life economic development
strategy. Such examples of this process could involve a public meeting or charrette that
explains all of the benefits that can be provided to the municipality in regards to jobs,
quality-of-life, and tourism. A group visit to Philadelphia and registering for a local mural
arts tour can highlight the benefits of supporting a mural initiative in Norristown. Once
informed and educated about all the benefits a mural arts program can provide, there will
Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

likely be much support and enthusiasm for the quality-of-life strategy. Next, a task-force
could be formed with the mission of establishing a formal organization, financing sources,
and potential initial mural locations. These initial murals can begin to create jobs, improve
the quality-of-life, and increased tourism for Norristown in a relatively short time frame with
minimal cost and road closures. The preceding evidence supports this progressive planning
strategy of quality-of-life and the specific project of a mural arts program. The Norristown
planning commission must now fully support this new planning strategy and gather support
amongst its employees to create the most abundant, desirable, and financially stable
municipality for present and future generations.

Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

References:
Cockcroft, Eva; Weber, John; and Cockcroft, Jim; Toward a Peoples Art,
The Contemporary Mural Movement; New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., 1977; p. 83.
Davis, Carolyn (2013, March 13). Norristown to use EPA grants to reclaim brownfields.
Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved from http://articles.philly.com/2013-03-13/
news/ 37685338_1_brownfield-grants-norristown-epa-grants
DeHuff, Jenny (2013, February 7). Montgomery County Commissioners approve funding
for Lafayette Street Extension, Norristown. The Times Herald. Retrieved from
http://www.timesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130207/
NEWS01/130209625&template=printart
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC, 2013). 2040 DVRPC Forecasts.
Retrieved from http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/CountyProfiles/Montgomery.aspx
National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices (2001, June 25).
The Role of Arts in Economic Development. Retrieved from http://www.nga.org/
cms/ home/nga-center-for-best-practices/center-publications/page-ehswpublications/col2-content/main-content-list/the-role-of-the-arts-in-economic.html
National Endowment for the Arts.(NEA, 2010) Creative placemaking: case study Transforming
Neighborhods and Lives, Philadelphia, PA Mural Arts Program. Retrieved from
http://arts.gov/pub/CreativePlacemaking-Paper.pdf
Moore, Meck, Ebenhoh (2006) An Economic Development Toolbox, Report Number 151.
American Planning Association. Chicago, Illinois.
Rotenberg, Carl (2012, September 27). Workers reminisce before closing of Montgomery
Hospital. The Times Herald. Retrieved from http://www.timesherald.com/
article/20120927/NEWS01/120929585&template=printart
Singer, Rena (1995, May 03) Norristowns Lawyers Row Sees Firm Move Away The
Boroughs Image Has Been A Problem For A While. Now, Theres New Technology
And The Blue Route. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved from http://
articles.philly.com/1995-05-03/news/25674948_1_montgomery-plaza-firmnorristown
Solano, Maria Schelle (2012, May) Art, Commerce, and Social Transformation: Public Art
and the Marketing of Philadelphia. A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple
University Graduate Board. Temple University. Retrieved from http://
digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/184817
Urban Partners (2009). Norristown Economic Revitalization Strategy Update, Municipality of
Norristown. Retrieved from Norristown Municipality Website:
Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown

http://norristown.org/userfiles/file/NERS%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf

Recommended Creative Planning Initiatives for Norristown