Currently, the City is building a network of green stormwater tools in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood and communities across Philadelphia through the Green City, Clean Waters program. These green systems add new green space to the landscape and reduce stormwater runoff and sewer overflows, which represent the biggest sources of pollution for Cobbs and other other urban waterways.
The stories collected through this project help the community document the immense value of Cobbs Creek.
Note: the recordings below feature excerpts edited to form a narrative.
Julia Chinn moved to Cobbs Creek from North Philadelphia with her husband and young daughter in 1953 to grow their family. Her story shows Cobbs Creek as a natural place that enriched their family life and neighborhood. She also talks about racial tensions, crime, the death of her son and what drew her to community activism. Today, she is still a community leader active with numerous community groups, boards, and a local block captain’s organization.
Deborah Roebuck's Story
Deborah Roebuck shares her late husband's intimate connections to the creek, their dream of owning a home across from the park, the positive impact of the Cobbs Creek Recreation Center, and why a sense of ownership in the land is so important. She also remembers iconic civil rights moments from Philadelphia in the 1960s.