Title
Recognizing, honoring and celebrating John F. Collins for his enormous contributions to Philadelphia’s urban design and for his creative vision and focus on improving and expanding green spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Body
WHEREAS, John Collins was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1936 to Florence and William Collins; and
WHEREAS, He was awarded a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the Pennsylvania State University in 1959. In 1961, Collins earned a Masters from Harvard Graduate School of Design; in 1965, he moved to the Mt. Airy neighborhood in Philadelphia, where he lived with his family for 34 years; and
WHEREAS, In 1963, Collins co-founded Adleman Collins & DuTot; in 1965, this firm became Collins & Dutot; and in 1971, Collins co-founded The Delta Group, all of which went on to revitalize Philadelphia’s green space and urban environment through a series of award-winning projects; and
WHEREAS, Collins was active in a comprehensive revitalization plan for Society Hill, including “Greenways,” which are landscaped walkways that are still in existence today; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, Collins created a master plan for the Fairmount Park Commission, centering around a 1.25 mile park along the Schuylkill River east bank from the Art Museum to South Street; and
WHEREAS, For the next 40 years, Collins continued to work, often on a volunteer basis to realize the vision of Schuylkill River Park, which was dedicated at a lighting ceremony in 2004; and
WHEREAS, In the 1970s, the Delta Group designed a Fine Arts Plan for the University of Pennsylvania and received numerous awards and honors for their planning and involvement in environmental projects; and
WHEREAS, In 1978, Collins designed the award-winning Chestnut Street Park in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, Collins launched a program to train inmates in urban horticulture skills at the House of Corrections in Philadelphia. The program PLANT—Philadelphia Landscape and Nursery Training—trained inmates to plant and maintain greenery in public spaces; and
WHEREAS, Collins and his partners also played an integral role in 1980s revitalization of Market Street East, including wider sidewalks containing improved bus shelters, updated lighting and freshly planted trees and greenery. Between 5th and Front Streets, Collins’ design recaptured the feel of 18th Century Philadelphia. Further, the Delta Group was part of the team that constructed the Irish Memorial at Penn’s Landing; and
WHEREAS, Collins has worked on many significant projects beyond the Philadelphia area, including the new town of Reston, Virginia; the master plan for Salem, Massachusetts; numerous streetscape improvements in Baltimore; and the Alaska pipeline; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Collins has educated young professionals as a lecturer, professor, and visiting studio critic at major landscape architecture programs at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, The Pennsylvania State University, Harvard University, Cornell University, the University of Virginia, Louisiana State University, and the school of Architecture and Planning in New Delhi, India; and
WHEREAS, John Collins became Chairman of Temple University’s Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Department and continued his involvement in neighborhood revitalization. He created a partnership between the University and PHS Philadelphia Green and Sea Change, Inc. to establish an urban tree farm in North Philadelphia’s Cecil B. Moore neighborhood. Furthermore, Collins established a campus greenery program and proposed a Center for Sustainable Environment at Temple University Ambler; and
WHEREAS, Collins’ professional achievements as a Landscape Architect were recognized by his peers when the American Society of Landscape Architects named him a Fellow in 1993, its highest award for exceptional work over a sustained time period; and
WHEREAS, Edmund N. Bacon was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer stating, “John Collins deserves the highest accolades for bringing greenery and the finest quality of urban design into Philadelphia,”; and
WHEREAS, On April 26, 2007, Temple University’s Ambler Campus will open a retrospective exhibit honoring the life work of John F. Collins; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby recognize honor and celebrate John F. Collins for his enormous contributions to Philadelphia’s urban design and for his creative vision and focus on improving and expanding green spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to John F. Collins as evidence of the sincere sentiments and recognition of this legislative body.
End