Sustainable Philadelphia Initiative
Great cities are known for providing a very high quality of life for its citizens. Today, after a long and slow decline since the 1950s, things are looking up for Philadelphia again. But in order to compete with other cities around the U.S. and the world, Philadelphia must find ways to have more of what makes cities great - parks and open spaces, redeveloped riverfronts, efficient transportation, better air and water quality, recycling and waste programs that work, and leadership in green building implementation, among others.
National Geographic Traveler magazine named Philadelphia the "Next Great City" in America, and SustainLane ranked Philadelphia the 8th most sustainable city in the nation. Philadelphia has shown great progress in balancing environmental, social and economic sustainability, but still has some ways to go to ensure future generations will have an even better life. The Council helps along the way.
- To promote green building and sustainable development strategies
- To connect communities to new greenways, redeveloped riverfronts, new urban parks, public squares and green streets.
- To promote sustainability among Greater Philadelphia citizens through participation in the Urban Sustainability Forum and other outreach efforts, as well as organizing the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards
- Completed a study on barriers to building green in Philadelphia, based on input from interviews and focus groups with key developers, builders, architects, engineers, contractors and government officials
- Successful launch of the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards program, highlighting the region's leadership and innovation in sustainability.
- Participation in multiple Urban Sustainability Forum programs featuring inspiring speakers such as former Curitiba, Brazil Mayor Jaime Lerner, NYC transportation guru Sam Schwartz, and green affordable housing developer Carlton Brown.
- Public outreach and public presentations on a variety of topics
New Greenways: The Council builds upon its trail work throughout the Commonwealth, and supports PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources' vision of a statewide greenway network.
The Council works with the East Coast Greenway Alliance to create the Southeast PA segments of a pedestrian and bike path that will connect 3,000 miles of urban areas from Maine to Florida. Work continues on the three segments of the trail: along the Delaware River, an important connecting segment through Center City Philadelphia, and along the Schuylkill River basin south from the existing Schuylkill River Trail into Delaware County.
The Council also works to assess additional potential greenway segments throughout the region. The final greenway segment recommendations and plans will result from public involvement meetings and work with stakeholders including the, Bicycle Coalition, Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, East Coast Greenway Alliance, Center City District, Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Delaware River City Corporation, neighborhoods groups, and many others.
Green Buildings: The Council conducts outreach and policy work to promote more green building in the region and throughout the Commonwealth These efforts include the groundbreaking study on the barriers to building green in Philadelphia, workshops (with some of the nation's leading experts) to local governmental, developer, and professional communities, input into proposed bills at the state and local levels, and participation in the ongoing zoning reform conversation with Philadelphia's Zoning Reform Commission and local stakeholders. As part of these efforts, the Council promotes the adoption of incentives for green building construction as well as for energy conservation, energy efficiency, and stormwater control measures for existing buildings.
Urban Sustainability Forum: The Council helps convene this coalition of the region's leading non-profit organizations to showcase the region's, the nation's, and the world's best practices in sustainability. Each month, different presentations are held on a myriad of sustainability issues, including local and organic food production, the "green economy," riverfront redevelopment, sustainable transportation, , eco-faith, and clean energy - among many other topics. The Forum also hosted two Mayoral Forums - where candidates for the office of mayor of Philadelphia shared their thoughts on how to make the city a more livable and more sustainable place to live.
Philadelphia Sustainability Awards: The Council works with eight regional non-profits to produce the region's only awards program that celebrates the Philadelphia region's success towards becoming the most sustainable in America. The awards program highlights businesses, non-profits, individuals, schools and government agencies who demonstrate innovative solutions and leadership in economic, environmental and social sustainability.
| Attachment | Size |
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| East Coast Greenway SW Philly to DelCo aerial photo ma | 5.75 MB |
| East Coast Greenway SW Philly to DelCo alignments map | 1.14 MB |