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82-476: The borough was originally part of Springfield Township , and grew up around Swarthmore College , which was founded in 1864. The advent of passenger rail service from Philadelphia in the 1880s greatly enhanced the desirability of the borough as a commuter suburb , and the borough was incorporated in 1893. About one third of the borough's land area consists of the Swarthmore College campus. Many of

164-681: A humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) and average monthly temperatures range from 33.1 °F in January to 78.0 °F in July. The local hardiness zone is 7a. Swarthmore is represented in the Pennsylvania General Assembly as the PA 165th Legislative District and the PA 26th Senate District . The former position is held by Rep. Jennifer O'Mara and the latter by former Swarthmore mayor Sen. Tim Kearney , both Democrats . As of

246-462: A humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) and the hardiness zone is 7a. Average monthly temperatures in the vicinity of the library range from 32.6 °F (0.3 °C) in January to 77.7 °F (25.4 °C) in July. As of 2010 census, the racial makeup of the township was 93.4% White , 1.7% African American , 0.1% Native American , 3.8% Asian , 0.2% from other races , and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of

328-543: A UN declaration that resulted from the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, absolute poverty is "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education, and information. It depends not only on income, but also on access to services." David Gordon's paper, "Indicators of Poverty and Hunger", for

410-418: A certain minimum level, the rub of the poverty problem – from the point of view of both the poor individual and of the societies in which they live – is not so much the effects of poverty in any absolute form but the effects of the contrast, daily perceived, between the lives of the poor and the lives of those around them. For practical purposes, the problem of poverty in the industrialized nations today

492-514: A day at 2005 purchasing power parity (PPP). The new figure of $ 1.90 is based on ICP PPP calculations and represents the international equivalent of what $ 1.90 could buy in the US in 2011. Most scholars agree that it better reflects today's reality, particularly new price levels in developing countries. The common IPL has in the past been roughly $ 1 a day. These figures are artificially low according to Peter Edward of Newcastle University . He believes

574-399: A different sense to mean "moderate poverty" – for example, a standard of living or level of income that is high enough to satisfy basic needs (like water , food , clothing , housing, and basic health care ), but still significantly lower than that of the majority of the population under consideration. An example of this could be a person living in poor conditions or squalid housing in

656-421: A high crime area of a developed country and struggling to pay their bills every month due to low wages, debt or unemployment. While this person still benefits from the infrastructure of the developed country, they still endure a less than ideal lifestyle compared to their more affluent countrymen or even the more affluent individuals in less developed countries who have lower living costs. Living Income refers to

738-506: A household in the borough was $ 101,686, and the median income for a family was $ 144,570. Males had a median income of $ 71,750 versus $ 51,117 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 40,482. About 0.0% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line . Swarthmore lies within the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District . In 1971, the district was formed via a merger with

820-509: A result, depending on the indicator of economic status used, an estimate of who is disadvantaged, which groups have the highest poverty rates, and the nation's progress against poverty varies significantly. Hence, this can mean that defining poverty is not just a matter of measuring things accurately, but it also necessitates fundamental social judgments, many of which have moral implications. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. Definitions of

902-445: A unique corridor that is essentially a compact commercial strip that cuts directly through bedroom communities on both sides. Residents are currently attempting to undo the emblematic effects of urban sprawl along the mile through the implementation of green initiatives, responsible traffic planning, and zoning improvements. In the past century, all of Springfield's farmland was slowly bought up by developers who turned Springfield into

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984-804: Is a parent, elderly, a child, married, etc. The poverty threshold may be adjusted annually. In practice, like the definition of poverty , the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries . In September 2022, the World Bank updated the International Poverty Line ( IPL ), a global absolute minimum, to $ 2.15 per day (in PPP ). In addition, as of 2022, $ 3.65 per day in PPP for lower-middle income countries, and $ 6.85 per day in PPP for upper-middle income countries. Per

1066-434: Is a problem of relative poverty (page 9)." However, some have argued that as relative poverty is merely a measure of inequality, using the term 'poverty' for it is misleading. For example, if everyone in a country's income doubled, it would not reduce the amount of 'relative poverty' at all. In 1776, Adam Smith argued that poverty is the inability to afford "not only the commodities which are indispensably necessary for

1148-596: Is based on a low pay rate of 60 percent of full-time median earnings, equivalent to a little over £12,000 a year for a 35-hour working week. In April 2006, a 35-hour week would have earned someone £9,191 a year – before tax or National Insurance". In 2019, the Low Pay Commission estimated that about 7% of people employed in the UK were earning at or below the National Minimum Wage . In 2021,

1230-466: Is bordered to the north, east, and southwest by Springfield Township , to the southeast by Ridley Township , and to the west by Nether Providence Township . Crum Creek , a southward-flowing tributary of the Delaware River , forms the western boundary of the borough. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , Swarthmore borough has a total area of 1.40 square miles (3.63 km), all land. It has

1312-401: Is hard to have exact number for poverty, as much data is collected through interviews, meaning income that is reported to the interviewer must be taken at face value. As a result, data could not rightly represent the situations true nature, nor fully represent the income earned illegally. In addition, if the data were correct and accurate, it would still not mean serving as an adequate measure of

1394-471: Is less than one-half the median family income." This was the first introduction of the relative poverty rate as typically computed today In 1979, British sociologist, Peter Townsend published his famous definition: "individuals... can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or are at least widely encouraged or approved, in

1476-488: Is located on the campus of Swarthmore College . The Swarthmore Public Library is at 121 Park Avenue in the center of the borough. The Park Avenue Community Center is adjacent to Swarthmore Borough Hall and hosts a range of cultural activities, theater and music. Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Springfield Township , or simply Springfield , is a township in Delaware County in

1558-508: Is not considering establishing an official poverty line, with Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing claiming it would fail to represent the magnitude and scope of problems faced by the poor. As a result, social benefits and aids aimed at the poor would be a missed opportunity for those living right above such a line. In the United States, the poverty thresholds are updated every year by Census Bureau. The threshold in

1640-938: Is not to be confused with the Springfield Township School District , which is located in Springfield Township , Montgomery County . Public Schools: Families in Springfield Township could choose to send their children to Swarthmore High , Lansdowne High School , and/or Media High School prior to the 1931 establishment of Springfield High School. Private / Parochial schools : St. Kevin School, another Catholic grade school, operated from 1967 until 2011. The archdiocese closed it due to declining enrollment despite advocacy from community members to keep it open. It had 158 students in spring 2011, with parents stating that

1722-459: Is split according to rural versus urban thresholds. For urban dwellers, the poverty line is defined as living on less than 538.60 rupees (approximately US$ 12) per month, whereas for rural dwellers, it is defined as living on less than 356.35 rupees per month (approximately US$ 7.50) In 2019, the Indian government stated that 6.7% of its population is below its official poverty limit. As India is one of

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1804-461: Is the absence of enough resources to secure basic life necessities. To assist in measuring this, the World Bank has a daily per capita international poverty line (IPL), a global absolute minimum, of $ 2.15 a day as of September 2022. The new IPL replaces the $ 1.25 per day figure, which used 2005 data. In 2008, the World Bank came out with a figure (revised largely due to inflation) of $ 1.25

1886-575: The London School Board . Booth set the line at 10 (50p) to 20 shillings (£1) per week, which he considered to be the minimum amount necessary for a family of four or five people to subsist on. Seebohm Rowntree (1871–1954), a British sociological researcher, social reformer and industrialist, surveyed rich families in York , and drew a poverty line in terms of a minimum weekly sum of money "necessary to enable families … to secure

1968-522: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's Living Wage Calculator, which compares the local minimum wage to the amount of money needed to cover expenses beyond what is needed to merely survive across the United States. The cost of living varies greatly if there are children or other dependents in the household. An outdated or flawed poverty measure is an obstacle for policymakers, researchers and academics trying to find solutions to

2050-681: The Office for National Statistics found that 3.8% of jobs were paid below the National Minimum Wage, a decrease from 7.4% in 2020 but an increase from 1.4% in 2019. They note that this increase from 2019 to 2021 is connected to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . The Guardian reported in 2021 that "almost 5m jobs, or one in six nationally, pay below the real living wage". India's official poverty level as of 2005

2132-542: The U.S. state of Pennsylvania . The population was 25,070 at the 2020 census. Springfield is a suburb of Philadelphia , located about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the city. It became famous due to the American Animated TV Sitcom " The Simpsons " Springfield is located in eastern Delaware County at 39°55′37″N 75°20′7″W  /  39.92694°N 75.33528°W  / 39.92694; -75.33528 (39.926961, -75.335231). According to

2214-708: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Canadian poverty researchers. In the European Union, the "relative poverty measure is the most prominent and most–quoted of the EU social inclusion indicators." "Relative poverty reflects better the cost of social inclusion and equality of opportunity in a specific time and space." "Once economic development has progressed beyond

2296-811: The United States Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 6.34 square miles (16.42 km ), of which 6.32 square miles (16.37 km ) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km ), or 0.28%, is water. The northeastern border of the township is formed by Darby Creek , and the western border is formed by Crum Creek , both of which flow south to the Delaware River . Note that there are multiple Springfield townships in Pennsylvania (e.g., in Bucks County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and in York County). Springfield has

2378-473: The $ 1.90/day standard, the percentage of the global population living in absolute poverty fell from over 80% in 1800 to 10% by 2015, according to United Nations estimates, which found roughly 734 million people remained in absolute poverty. Charles Booth , a pioneering investigator of poverty in London at the turn of the 20th century, popularised the idea of a poverty line , a concept originally conceived by

2460-536: The 2010 census, there were 6,194 people, 1,963 households, and 1,327 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,460.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,722.2/km). There were 2,081 housing units at an average density of 1,492.1 units per square mile (576.1 units/km). The racial makeup of the borough was 82.5% White , 7.7% Asian , 5.0% African American , 0.3% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , .7% from other races , and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of

2542-486: The European Union is based on "economic distance", a level of income set at 60% of the median household income. A measure of relative poverty defines "poverty" as being below some relative poverty threshold. For example, the statement that "those individuals who are employed and whose household equivalised disposable income is below 60% of national median equivalised income are poor" uses a relative measure to define poverty. The term relative poverty can also be used in

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2624-480: The Iranian economy suffered the highest inflation in 75 years; official statistics put the poverty line at 10 million tomans ($ 500), while the minimum wage given in the same year has been 5 million toman. Singapore has experienced strong economic growth over the last ten years and has consistently ranked among the world's top countries in terms of GDP per capita. Inequality has however increased dramatically over

2706-740: The Nether Providence School District and Swarthmore-Rutledge School District. Public school students attend Swarthmore-Rutledge School, at 100 College Avenue in Swarthmore, for grades K-5. Public school students attend Strath Haven Middle School for grades 6–8 and Strath Haven High School for grades 9–12. Both of these schools are located in Wallingford. The borough's only private school is the George Crothers Memorial School, housed in

2788-470: The United Nations, further defines absolute poverty as the absence of any two of the following eight basic needs: In 1978, Ghai investigated the literature that criticized the basic needs approach. Critics argued that the basic needs approach lacked scientific rigour; it was consumption-oriented and antigrowth. Some considered it to be "a recipe for perpetuating economic backwardness" and for giving

2870-488: The United States is updated and used for statistical purposes. In 2020, in the United States, the poverty threshold for a single person under 65 was an annual income of US$ 12,760, or about $ 35 per day. The threshold for a family group of four, including two children, was US$ 26,200, about $ 72 per day. According to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2018 One-year Estimates, 13.1% of Americans lived below

2952-412: The archdiocese stated that, at the time, all three would continue to operate. There are 24 parks located in Springfield Township, some of the more notable parks are listed below. Poverty line The poverty threshold , poverty limit , poverty line , or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating

3034-741: The archives of the Heritage Society of Springfield, and the Springfield Township Public Library (a member of the Delaware County Library System ). Springfield has three sister cities, Lisbon, Portugal, Lima, Peru, and Vancouver, Canada. As of 2018, there were 84.34 miles (135.73 km) of public roads in Springfield Township, of which 16.80 miles (27.04 km) were maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 67.54 miles (108.70 km) were maintained by

3116-410: The average family size was 3.14. In the township, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the township

3198-401: The beginning of the 20th century, Springfield's Baltimore Pike had become one of the busiest commercial areas outside of Philadelphia. The long, straight stretch of Baltimore Pike in the township was referred to as "The Golden Mile", commonly known for its many automobile dealerships. Baltimore Pike remains true to its history with many dealerships lining the side of the road. The Golden Mile is

3280-529: The borough. Pennsylvania Route 320 ⁸is the only numbered highway serving Swarthmore. It follows a north–south alignment through the center of the borough via Chester Road, Swarthmore Avenue and Cedar Lane. Swarthmore Station , a SEPTA Regional Rail train station on the Media/Wawa Line , sits between the college and the town's center. SEPTA Route 109 bus connecting Chester with Upper Darby stops along Pennsylvania Route 320 . Scott Arboretum

3362-440: The cheapest local grain (such as corn, rice, or oats). The basic needs approach is one of the major approaches to the measurement of absolute poverty in developing countries. It attempts to define the absolute minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being , usually in terms of consumption goods . The poverty line is then defined as the amount of income required to satisfy those needs. The 'basic needs' approach

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3444-591: The concept of relative poverty: "No objective definition of poverty exists. ... The definition varies from place to place and time to time. In America as our standard of living rises, so does our idea of what is substandard." In 1965, Rose Friedman argued for the use of relative poverty claiming that the definition of poverty changes with general living standards. Those labelled as poor in 1995, would have had "a higher standard of living than many labelled not poor" in 1965. In 1967, American economist Victor Fuchs proposed that "we define as poor any family whose income

3526-410: The efficacy of their programs and guiding their development strategy. In addition, by measuring poverty one receives knowledge of which poverty reduction strategies work and which do not, helping to evaluate different projects, policies and institutions. To a large extent, measuring the poor and having strategies to do so keep the poor on the agenda, making the problem of political and moral concern. It

3608-489: The fastest-growing economies in 2018, poverty is on the decline in the country, with close to 44 Indians escaping extreme poverty every minute, as per the World Poverty Clock . India lifted 271 million people out of poverty in a 10-year time period from 2005/06 to 2015/16. In 2008 Iran government report by central statistics had recommended 9.5 around million people living below poverty line. As of August 2022

3690-484: The impression "that poverty elimination is all too easy". Amartya Sen focused on 'capabilities' rather than consumption. In the development discourse, the basic needs model focuses on the measurement of what is believed to be an eradicable level of poverty . Relative poverty means low income relative to others in a country: for example, below 60% of the median income of people in that country. Relative poverty measurements, unlike absolute poverty measurements, take

3772-491: The income needed to afford a decent standard of living in the place one lives. The distinguishing feature between a living income and the poverty line is the concept of decency, wherein people thrive, not only survive. Based on years of stakeholder dialogue and expert consultations, the Living Income Community of Practice, an open learning community, established the formal definition of living income drawing on

3854-430: The living standards, the well-being or economic position of a given family or household. Research done by Haughton and Khandker finds that there is no ideal measure of well-being, arguing that all measures of poverty are imperfect. That is not to say that measuring poverty should be avoided; rather, all indicators of poverty should be approached with caution, and questions about how they are formulated should be raised. As

3936-400: The necessaries of a healthy life", which included fuel and light, rent, food, clothing, and household and personal items. Based on data from leading nutritionists of the period, he calculated the cheapest price for the minimum calorific intake and nutritional balance necessary, before people get ill or lose weight. He considered this amount to set his poverty line and concluded that 27.84% of

4018-688: The number scheduled to attend in the fall of that year was over 130 while the archdiocese stated that number was 93. It was one of three Catholic schools in Delaware County to close at that time. First settled by Quakers who arrived in Pennsylvania with William Penn , Springfield was first recognized as a governmental entity in 1686. Many of the streets in Springfield are named after former prominent citizens, including Kennerly, Lownes, Levis, Maris, Thomas, Beatty, Lewis, Foulke, Evans, Powell, Pancoast, Worrell, and Edge. Originally, Springfield

4100-604: The old Rutgers Avenue School. Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic School is located adjacent to the borough in Ridley Township. The borough is home to Swarthmore College , a private liberal arts college founded in 1864. As of 2016 there were 18.88 miles (30.38 km) of public roads in Swarthmore, of which 3.02 miles (4.86 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 15.86 miles (25.52 km) were maintained by

4182-490: The person might be able to meet her/his basic needs, but not be able to enjoy the same standards of living that other people in the same economy are enjoying. Relative poverty is thus a form of social exclusion that can for example affect peoples access to decent housing, education or job opportunities. The relative poverty measure is used by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),

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4264-400: The poor, most of whose expenditure is on basic foodstuffs rather than the relatively luxurious items (washing machines, air travel, healthcare) often included in PPP baskets. The economist Robert C. Allen has attempted to solve this by using standardized baskets of goods typical of those bought by the poor across countries and historical time, for example including a fixed calorific quantity of

4346-571: The population. As of the 2000 census, there were 23,677 people, 8,618 households, and 6,790 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,723.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,437.5/km ). There were 8,800 housing units at an average density of 1,383.7 units per square mile (534.2 units/km ). The racial makeup of the township was 94.6% White , 0.5% African American , 0.05% Native American , 4.2% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.12% from other races , and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of

4428-445: The population. There were 1,963 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

4510-408: The population. There were 8,618 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and

4592-606: The poverty line calculation, using a single global monetary calculation for Living Income is problematic when applied worldwide. Additionally, the Living Income should be adjusted quarterly due to inflation and other significant changes such as currency adjustments. The actual income or proxy income can be used when measuring the gap between initial income and the living income benchmarks. The World Bank notes that poverty and standard of living can be measured by social perception as well, and found that in 2015, roughly one-third of

4674-481: The poverty line do vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations. Even among rich nations, the standards differ greatly. Thus, the numbers are not comparable among countries. Even when nations do use the same method, some issues may remain. In the UK in 2006, "more than five million people – over a fifth (23 percent) of all employees – were paid less than £6.67 an hour". This value

4756-403: The poverty line. Women and children find themselves impacted by poverty more often when a part of single mother families. The poverty rate of women has increasingly exceeded that of men's. While the overall poverty rate is 12.3%, women poverty rate is 13.8% which is above the average and men are below the overall rate at 11.1%. Women and children (as single mother families) find themselves as

4838-467: The problem of poverty. This has implications for people. The federal poverty line is used by dozens of federal, state, and local agencies, as well as several private organizations and charities, to decide who needs assistance. The assistance can take many forms, but it is often difficult to put in place any type of aid without measurements which provide data. In a rapidly evolving economic climate, poverty assessment often aids developed countries in determining

4920-407: The real number as of 2015 was $ 7.40 per day. Using a single monetary poverty threshold is problematic when applied worldwide, due to the difficulty of comparing prices between countries. Prices of the same goods vary dramatically from country to country; while this is typically corrected for by using PPP exchange rates, the basket of goods used to determine such rates is usually unrepresentative of

5002-419: The same time span, yet there is no official poverty line in the country. Given Singapore's high level of growth and prosperity, many believe that poverty does not exist in the country, or that domestic poverty is not comparable to global absolute poverty. Such a view persists for a selection of reasons, and since there is no official poverty line, there is no strong acknowledgement that it exists. Yet, Singapore

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5084-449: The same. While all resemble each other with their stone fronts and common size, additional luxuries such as porches and window placement were available for purchase to make each one slightly individualized. Though all of the farmland of Springfield's past is gone, many of the woods and fields of the past still remain standing today in some of the many parks located throughout the community. The bulk of Springfield's history lies recorded in

5166-582: The social economic environment of the people observed into consideration. It is based on the assumption that whether a person is considered poor depends on her/his income share relative to the income shares of other people who are living in the same economy. The threshold for relative poverty is considered to be at 50% of a country's median equivalised disposable income after social transfers . Thus, it can vary greatly from country to country even after adjusting for purchasing power standards (PPS). A person can be poor in relative terms but not in absolute terms as

5248-685: The societies to which they belong (page 31)." Brian Nolan and Christopher T. Whelan of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland explained that "poverty has to be seen in terms of the standard of living of the society in question." Relative poverty measures are used as official poverty rates by the European Union , UNICEF and the OECD . The main poverty line used in the OECD and

5330-659: The streets in the southern half of town are named for eastern colleges, and much of the borough's housing stock dates from the Victorian period through the 1920s. The Ogden House and Benjamin West Birthplace are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Swarthmore is located in east-central Delaware County at 39°54′6″N 75°20′49″W  /  39.90167°N 75.34694°W  / 39.90167; -75.34694 (39.901788, −75.347083). It

5412-422: The support of life, but whatever the custom of the country renders it indecent for creditable people, even of the lowest order, to be without." In 1958, John Kenneth Galbraith argued, "People are poverty stricken when their income, even if adequate for survival, falls markedly behind that of their community." In 1964, in a joint committee economic President's report in the United States, Republicans endorsed

5494-401: The total cost of one year's worth of necessities for the average adult. The cost of housing, such as the rent for an apartment, usually makes up the largest proportion of this estimate, so economists track the real estate market and other housing cost indicators as a major influence on the poverty line. Individual factors are often used to account for various circumstances, such as whether one

5576-483: The total population of York lived below this poverty line. This result corresponded with that from Booth's study of poverty in London and so challenged the view, commonly held at the time, that abject poverty was a problem particular to London and was not widespread in the rest of Britain. Rowntree distinguished between primary poverty , those lacking in income and secondary poverty , those who had enough income, but spent it elsewhere (1901:295–96). The poverty threshold

5658-566: The town it is today, that is, largely comprising developments of standard suburban single-family homes. One of the largest single developments was the Stoney Creek development. Construction began in 1949 and was completed in only five years. The huge development stretched from West Avenue to Providence Road and ran all the way up to Baltimore Pike. Over 75 homes were constructed in the development. Similar to most housing developments of their time, no two houses in Stoney Creek were built exactly

5740-460: The township and offering connections to 69th Street Transportation Center and other suburbs. SEPTA Regional Rail 's Media/Wawa Line passes through the southern portion of Springfield Township, with the nearest stations at Swarthmore and Morton . The township is home to Springfield Mall , a 590,000-square-foot (55,000 m ), two-level shopping mall. One of the first of several suburban locations of Strawbridge & Clothier , opened in 1964,

5822-551: The township to the east of I-476. Finally, Pennsylvania Route 420 begins at PA 320 south of US 1 and heads southeastward along Woodland Avenue through central and southeastern portions of the township. SEPTA operates public transportation in Springfield Township. SEPTA's light rail Media–Sharon Hill Line between 69th Street Transportation Center and Media serves the township with multiple stations. SEPTA provides Suburban Bus service to Springfield Township along routes 107 , 109 , 110 , and 111 , serving points of interest in

5904-405: The township. Interstate 476 is the most prominent highway traversing Springfield Township, brushing the western edge of the township on a north–south alignment. U.S. Route 1 follow State Road along a southwest–northeast alignment through the northern portion of the township. Pennsylvania Route 320 follows Chester Road and Sproul Road along a north–south alignment across the western portion of

5986-538: The work of Richard and Martha Anker, who co-authored "Living Wages Around the World: Manual for Measurement". They define a living income as: The net annual income required for a household in a particular place to afford a decent standard of living for all members of that household. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transport, clothing, and other essential needs including provision for unexpected events. Like

6068-451: The world's population was considered poor in relation to their particular society. The Living Income Community of Practice (LICOP) was founded by The Sustainable Food Lab, GIZ and ISEAL Alliance to measure the gap between what people around the world earn versus what they need to have a decent standard of living, and find ways to bridge this gap. A variation on the LICOP's Living Income is

6150-485: The world. It influenced the programs and policies of major multilateral and bilateral development agencies, and was the precursor to the human development approach." A traditional list of immediate "basic needs" is food (including water), shelter, and clothing. Many modern lists emphasize the minimum level of consumption of 'basic needs' of not just food, water, and shelter, but also sanitation, education, and health care. Different agencies use different lists. According to

6232-507: Was $ 89,019, and the median income for a family was $ 103,424. Males had a median income of $ 64,830 versus $ 50,651 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 35,231. About 1.7% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. Students in Springfield Township attend schools in the Springfield School District . This

6314-406: Was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 20 to 24, 15.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. As of 2015, median income for

6396-444: Was first developed by Mollie Orshansky between 1963 and 1964. She attributed the poverty threshold as a measure of income inadequacy by taking the cost of food plan per family of three or four and multiplying it by a factor of three. In 1969 the inter agency poverty level review committee adjusted the threshold for only price changes. The term "absolute poverty" is also sometimes used as a synonym for extreme poverty. Absolute poverty

6478-650: Was introduced by the International Labour Organization's World Employment Conference in 1976. "Perhaps the high point of the WEP was the World Employment Conference of 1976, which proposed the satisfaction of basic human needs as the overriding objective of national and international development policy. The basic needs approach to development was endorsed by governments and workers' and employers' organizations from all over

6560-477: Was located in Springfield. The old Strawbridge & Clothier has since been reconstructed into a Target . Catholic churches in Springfield Township include Holy Cross Church, St. Francis of Assisi Church, and St. Kevin Church. In 2014 the archdiocese asked the churches to produce documents about their future viability as other Delaware County Catholic churches had closed permanently around that time period. In 2015

6642-504: Was primarily a farming town. On December 9, 1687, the settlers began laying the road to Amosland as it was then called. This road is now known as Springfield Road. In 1701 construction began on the Baltimore Pike; the road was formed of sturdy oak planks, some of which still exist under the current Baltimore Pike. 1701 also marked the year that construction began on the first Quaker meeting house. The meeting house burned in 1737 and

6724-575: Was rebuilt. The current meeting house that stands in its spot was constructed in 1851. By the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, it is estimated from tax records that about 300 people resided in Springfield. By the 19th century, Springfield had become more industrialized. Taking advantage of its many creeks for power, the inhabitants erected many mills. Well-known mill owners included William Fell, Samuel Pancoast, William Beatty, Samuel Levis, and Moses and Emanuel Hey. At

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