The West Philadelphia Landscape ProjectThe West Philadelphia Landscape Project has worked with the community for over twenty-five years to restore nature and rebuild the neighborhood through design, strategic planning and educational projects . They have been working in the Mill Creek neighborhood since 1987 and use their experience to demonstrate how the human population can live healthier, more economical lives. The aim of the project is to make the Philadelphia community more sustainable, with the proposal to manage the Mill Creek area to improve local water quality. The project uses landscape literacy as a means to preserve the environment and develop community relationships. During the project's twenty-five years of operation, hundreds of citizens, students and even government officials have taken part in the project with an approach aimed at restoring the environment and making the community more sustainable. From 1987 to 1991, the West Philadelphia Landscape Project was part of a collective landscape plan established as a “greening” project for the West Philadelphia community. A large team of faculty and students at Philadelphia University developed a database that used digital maps of area neighborhoods and developed proposals that would allow the project to repurpose vacant land in the Mill Creek area. They used the maps they created to plan and strategically place organic gardens throughout the Mill Creek neighborhood. These gardens have helped replace vacant landscapes with lush, vibrant green flowers. Others used the plots as a means to create community organic gardens, which allowed community residents to come and pick fresh produce for free. Finally… halfway through the document… the conditions came about due to decades of poor urban planning. In the early 19th century, Mill Creek was converted to a sewer system, which has caused problems for the community ever since. Damage resulting from this includes sinkholes and structural damage to buildings around the neighborhood. In the late 20th century, due to unethical lending practices and urban renewal projects, the Mill Creek community is filled with vacant, unused lots. The West Philadelphia Landscape Project has built a relationship with the Mill Creek community and partnered with community leaders to make Mill Creek a more sustainable living environment for all. Since the projects began in 1987, numerous gardens have been built and the area cleaned. They will continue this legacy for a better future and a fully sustainable urban environment.