Check out the Green Jobs Philly website under the "Related Links" list of our page for great information concerning green jobs and green happenings in and around Philly.

Smart Growth for Philadelphia

Clearly “smart growth” is a crucial part of becoming a greener city. Generally the concept is based on a more well-rounded and thought-out approach to urban planning. Therefore, smart growth simply refers to “any of a number of programs designed to help the city manage growth to avoid or eliminate suburban sprawl and to direct economic development and population growth in ways that minimize their impacts on the physical environment” (Portney).

Clearly the way that cities urbanized and the way many have broken down in post-industrial stages present serious challenges to currently functioning as eco-friendly centers. Smart growth is a direct attempt to re-establish a form of thoughtful urban development in a way that uses the existing infrastructure and plans well for new projects and policies. Many smart growth policies “involve efforts to encourage infill economic development and development that produces fewer negative environmental impacts” (Portney).

Numerous cities, including Philadelphia are looking very seriously at the “development of ‘eco-industrial parks’, concentrated areas of development that encourage location of related industries that pollute less and even take advantage of production relationships that facilitate industrial reuse and recycling” (Portney). This practice is specifically applicable to Philadelphia as it attempts to fill some of the post-industrial voids of the inner city with more environmentally oriented development.


In Summary, here is a short list of programs and policies that are clearly connected to sustainability. The focus is on whether the city has:
· managed development by developing eco-industrial parks;
· committed to cluster or targeted economic development;
· established one or more eco-villages; and
· established a local brown field redevelopment initiative.

Red Green and Blue is a blog that raises some important issues related to 'greening the city'. Examples from several major international cities are presented.

Montgomery Park

Baltimore is an interesting city to look at when discussing greening Philly because, although the scale of Philly is much larger, they have many similarities in the challenges they face as post-industrial cities. Baltimore has in recent years boasted the incorporation of green development that serves as a good example eco-friendly development.

Montgomery Park is a major green project in central Baltimore that exemplifies how development may look in the greener future. For Montgomery Park, specific features include: “a green roof planted with alpine vegetation that reduces storm runoff by 50 to 70 percent; a cistern system that tunnels rainwater to flush the toilets; a rooftop ice storage system that complements the air conditioning; and construction waste that has been recycled into the renovation… Its owners say that uses half the energy of a conventionally built office building” (Cohen 2006).

Although there are great ecological incentives for carrying out these projects, economic sustainability remains a constant factor. “Altruistic intentions alone aren't enough to bring sustainable building practice into the mainstream… [Builders] must see a practical, financial benefit” (Cohen 2006). This seems to be where the market is going. And Philadelphia, although it needs more of these types of projects to climb the green ladder, took a good first step with the completion of the Comcast Center, the largest LEEDS certified green building in the nation.

More on Urban Orchards

This is a follow up to the previous post concerning the Philadelphia Orchard Project. Here is a helpful link that provides great general information about installing urban eco-orchards:

http://www.phillyorchards.org/pdf/urban_eco_orchards.pdf

Philly could really use some of these orchards and if people can access information about what is being planted and how it can be done, individuals can act more promptly to help make a difference.

Planting Orchards in Philly

Spreading the Word:


The Philadelphia Orchard Project

General Mission Statement: "To plant orchards in the city of Philadelphia that provide healthy food, green spaces and community food security".


Upcoming Events:

"We invite you to participate in this season’s POP events, working alongside volunteers from our community partners to plant orchards all over the city. Volunteers of all ages and skill levels are welcome. These events involve digging, planting, and spreading compost and mulch, so expect to get dirty. We can’t guarantee tools for all; if you bring your own, it is advisable to write your name on them. Snacks and beverages to share are also welcome. Planting events can generally be expected to last between 2 and 4 hours."

You can sign on the volunteer email list for up-to-date info on events and or learn more about the project in general at

http://www.phillyorchards.org/

Obstacles to Philadelphia Greenness

The following blog contributes to the greater idea of evaluating Philadelphia's greenness:

"Philly Greenness" explores a range of obstacles that stand in Philadelphia's way of becoming the greenest city in America. The blog's principal goal is to bring attention to some of the issues the city is currently facing. Learn more about some of these issues at:

http://phillygreenness.blogspot.com

Tweetup this Wednesday

@itsrg and @greenphilly invite you to:

Philadelphia Earth Day Tweetup (#greenphilly) on Twitter.

Join Philadelphia Environmental researchers from Temple University and beyond in celebrating Earth Day.

http://twtvite.com/4aznab

Dates/Times/Place:

Where? Philadelphia, PA
When? Apr 22, 2009	What time? 8 - 12am

The Philadelphia Waterworks

The Philadelphia Waterworks is an impressive component of the city infrastructure that also has a lot of history. The system was the first municipal waterworks in the United States and for many years was primary provider of water for the entire City of Philadelphia.

In more recent years the Waterworks has become a tourist attraction and also has a restaurant at the location. For many years the system served as model for a successful waterworks operating in a major city, continues to be an architectural marvel. A visit to the waterworks is highly recommended, especially for a visit to the new interpretive center that has been opened and that provides a good understanding of the engineering and history behind the waterworks.

(Photo taken from www.binaryeconomics.net/)

Greenphilly on Twitter

If interested, follow @greenphilly on Twitter to learn about the local environmental scene and get to know the eco-twittering community:

http://www.twitter.com/greenphilly

Sustainability Rankings

How sustainable is Philadelphia when compared with other large cities? Read my blog to see more: http://agreenvision.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/compared-to-other-cities/

Fairmount Park

Having a large green space within an urban area that is open to the public is a huge asset for a city that is hoping to represent itself as a green urban complex. In Philadelphia, the existence of Fairmount Park is a great component of the greater city network that provides so many benefits for a city hoping to become the “greenest in America”.

(Picture taken from Philyskyline.com)

The park occupies a good portion, 10%, of the land in Philadelphia. Many other cities throughout the country have been following Philadelphia’s lead by staking out green spaces within their cities in an attempt to try to recreate what Philadelphia has done with the Fairmount Park System. Fairmount Park has served as a great example of how a large city can claim green spaces and enhance the ‘greenness’ of the urban complex as a whole.

Fairmount Park is a rich ecological space amongst the otherwise densely urbanized City of Philadelphia. Besides the ecological services that the park provides for the region, such as functioning as a ‘sink function’ by absorbing carbon dioxide and providing oxygen, it also presents expansive recreational opportunities for the residents of the city and beyond. The Schuylkill River that runs through the park is conducive to boating recreation (Boathouse Row), scenic walks, and biking (Schuylkill River Trail) for a couple of examples. Many other sporting recreational sites such as soccer fields, baseball fields, a Frisbee golf course, etc., support a wide range of different activities. Furthermore, two of the most scenic routes in the city, Kelly and Martin Luther King Drives, provide a beautiful escape from the dense grid pattern as they wind through the woods and along the river. It is these types of spaces that so strongly contribute to the green functionality of the city.

Clearly Fairmount Park is a strong factor contributing to Philadelphia’s status as a green city. This great park will continue to serve as an example of how large urban areas can balance their network with green spaces to improve the overall environmental conditions of the region.

Building Green Homes in Philly

It will ultimately be the citizens of Philadelphia themselves that make the change to go green. Significant change starts with the mentality of the individual. A collective group of individuals with a green mentality is that much better.
This is a shout out to Chad Ludeman and Nic Darling for carrying through with their goal of “creating environmentally friendly homes for the masses” (This story was recently covered by the Philadelphia Metro daily paper). They have recently been completed two “green homes” on formally vacant lots in the city and more are set to be going up. This is the type of action that the city needs. Two very good things are happening here for the city. First of all, building eco-friendly homes brings environmental benefits; and secondly, instead of continuing sprawl on the fringes of the metro region, the inner city’s space is being used more efficiently. Although it is debatable what the market for such “green” homes would look like on a larger scale, greater numbers of green homes and buildings in the city is a good start in the right direction towards becoming a green city.

Comcast Center (Green Engineering)

Considering the size and scale of Philadelphia, the city deserves some credit for being a reasonably green city. The city is dense and efficient (grid pattern), it has an expansive public transportation system (SEPTA), and boasts one of the biggest urban parks (Fairmount Park) in the world. There is of course large room for improvement. There are many practices that if acted upon could vastly propel Philly towards the top of the green list.

Recently there have been some progressive projects that have contributed to changing Philadelphia's image as a green city.




People don't generally associate building skyscrapers with going green; but the reality is that green engineering is actually quite important in the urban network. First of all, building up is better than building out (sprawl). And, because skyscrapers generate waste and release energy, building 'green' can reduce the environmental impact that skyscrapers have. In Philadelphia, the tallest green building in the country was completed last year, the Comcast Center. This project is a good example of how Philadelphia can build up its urban core while being eco-friendly.

Hoping for a Green Future

The “Green” movement has certainly made its presence known here in the United States. Although we have for so long been the leader of the “brown” movement, we are finally starting to see signs that the tides are turning. There is no one that is not affected by the environment that we live in; the natural systems that exist are certainly intertwined and it is each local community’s responsibility to make their best effort to limit the negative effects on others.
Here in the great city of Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter has declared that he plans on helping Philadelphia become the “greenest” city in America. This is a bold statement, but how can we back down from this challenge? It is important that as we as a community head into this new green direction that we understand where the urban context of this greenness.
As a research group, we plan on analyzing the “greenness” of Philadelphia as a city. How green is Philadelphia? As we go through this process, we intend on situating this topic in the context that a green city needs to function on a level that recognizes its urban sustainability, ‘new urbanism’, industrial ecology, and smart growth. With these practices being acted upon, a city is on a clearer path to becoming truly ‘green’.

The GoGreen Expo

March 13-15 Philadelphia hosted the GoGreen Expo. It was held at the convention center and showcased products, businesses, and panel discussions concerning all things green. If you'd like to read about my personal experience at the GoGreen Expo in Philadelphia take a look here: http://agreenvision.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/the-gogreen-expo/

Sources and other Interesting Reads

Atkinson, Adrian. Sustainable Development and Energy Futures. City; July 2007, Vol. 11, Issue 2, p 201-213.

Birch, Eugenie L., and Susan M. Wachter. Growing Greener Cities: Urban Sustainability in the Twenty First Century. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 2008.

Beatley, Timothy. Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities. Washington D.C: Brookings, 2000.

Glover, Paul. “Prepare For the Best”. Philadelphia City Paper 29 January 2009: 16-19

Kahn, Matthew E. Green Cities: Urban Growth and the Environment. Washington D.C: Brookings, 2006.

Luhde-Thompson, Naomi. Governing Sustainable Cities. Local Environment; Oct 2004, Vol. 9 Issue 5, p481-485.


Simmons, James R. How Green is the City (Book Review). Journal of Urban Affairs; Dec 2004, Vol. 26 Issue 5, p642-645


Spencer, Miranda. Building Sustainable Cities. E- The Environmental Magazine; Sep/Oct 2005, Vol. 16 Issue 5, p20-23.