Residents of the Francisville neighborhood in Philadelphia came together last year to clean up a vacant lot that had been used for dumping. They turned it into a greenspace with picnic tables and benches used by the community. But now the city, which owns the lot, has told them they will have to vacate it. City officials say it will be used for affordable housing, eventually, adding they’ll be putting out a request within the next six months for qualified developers. “All of a sudden the city is interested in the lot,” said neighbor Paul Donovan. “For 10 years it’s been sitting empty, collecting trash.”
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