The Philadelphia City Planning Commission presented a draft of its plan for the Riverwards on Tuesday, as part of Mayor Michael Nutter’s “Philadelphia2035” project.

City planner Ashley Richards was the lead presenter of the draft, which will be open to comments from the public through August 7, with a final draft of the plan submitted for the Commission’s approval on August 18.

The plan, according to a release from PlanPhilly, focuses on investing in commercial corridors, preserving industrial land, and improving pedestrian safety. A third of the land in the Riverwards is currently used for industry, while more than half is zoned for industrial use, according to the plan.

The specific areas the plan deals with are the Aramingo Shopping District, Port Richmond Village, and the Lehigh Avenue Corridor. The Commission said improvement to those three areas could have the biggest effect on improving the neighborhoods.

The plan calls for more commercial density along Aramingo Avenue with more uniform sign design. It calls for lots of bike lane additions (between York and Cumberland, and along a stretch of Lehigh Avenue between Richmond Street and Kensington Avenue). It also seeks the addition of mid-block crossings for of safety, and the creation of small public park spaces along the Lehigh Viaduct.

Plans for Port Richmond include making improving to SEPTA infrastructure, drawing up new industrial and commercial uses for Richmond Street, and reconstructing Monkiewicz Playground.

The goals of zoning changes would be to increase mixed-use commercial zoning without losing current industrial land or single-family housing stock. They would also encourage public access to the Frankford Creek and Delaware River.

If you have any comments or recommendations to Ashley Richards, the city planner in charge of this draft, send to her at Ashley.Richards@phila.gov before August 7th. You can also view the entire hearing video embedded on PlanPhilly’s site.