Next Great City Philadelphia

Coalition Partners: Civic and Neighborhood Groups

Bella Vista United Civic AssociationCarroll Park Neighbors Advisory CouncilCedar Park NeighborsCentral Roxborough Civic AssociationConcerned Block Captains of West and Southwest PhilaEast Park Revitalization AllianceEast Falls Tree TendersEast Passyunk CrossingFrancisville Neighborhood Development CorporationFriends of Pennypack Park

Friends of Wadsworth AveGreater Bustleton Civic LeagueLogan Square Neighborhood AssociationNew Kensington Community Development CorporationNewbold Neighbors AssociationNorthern Liberties Neighbors AssociationPassyunk Square Civic AssociationQueen Village Neighbors AssociationResidents of Shawmont Valley AssociationSociety Hill Civic AssociationSpruce Hill Civic Association

10,000 Friends of PAAmerican Lung Assoc of PA Audubon Pennsylvania City Parks AssociationClean Air Council Clean Water ActionDelaware River City Corp.Delaware Valley Green Building CouncilFairmount Park ConservancyNeighbors Allied for the Best RiverfrontPennEnvironment PennFuture PA Environmental Council PA Horticultural Society

Coalition Partners: Health and Environment

Philadelphia Parks AlliancePhysicians for Social ResponsibilityProject NEAT (American Cities Foundation)Recycling Alliance of PhiladelphiaRight to Know CommitteeRoxborough Greenspace ProjectSchuylkill Center for Environ EducationSchuylkill River Park AllianceSierra Club SE PASociety for Ecological RestorationSustainUs PhiladelphiaUniversity City Green IncWomen’s Health & Environmental Network

Health and Environment

Coalition Partners: Labor and Business, Faith

• Labor and Business•AFL-CIO, Philadelphia Council•AFSCME District Council 47•AFSCME District Council Local 2187•Ameresco Inc.•General Building Contractors Association•Home (scale) Inc.•PhilaPOSH•PhillyCarShare•Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia•Urban Industry Initiative•Wallace Roberts & Todd

• FaithCecilian Center of Earth, Arts and SpiritChestnut Hill United Methodist ChurchNeighborhood Interfaith MovementPA Interfaith Climate Change Campaign

Coalition Partners: Professional and Service Organizations

Action Alliance of Senior CitizensAmerican Institute of ArchitectsAsociacion Puertorriguenos en MarchaBuilding Industry AssociationCampus PhillyCommittee of SeventyCongreso de Latinos UnidosDelaware Valley Assoc of Railroad PassengersDesign Advocacy GroupGreater Phila Urban Affairs CoalitionGreater Philadelphia CaresGreater Phila Congress of Black WomenHabitat for Humanity PhiladelphiaInstitute for the Study of Civic ValuesInter- Community Development CorporationMajor Artery Revitalization CommitteeNAACP PhiladelphiaNeighborhood Networks

Neighborhoods NowThe Partnership CDCPA Parent Teacher AssociationPenTransPhiladelphia Assoc of CDC’sPhiladelphia Children’s CommissionPhila Convention and Visitors BureauPhiladelphia Corporation for AgingPhilly For ChangeSCRUBSchool of the FutureThe Food TrustThe Reinvestment Fund, Sustainable Development FundWelcoming Center for New PennsylvaniansWomen’s Community Revitalization ProjectYoung Involved Philadelphia

Criteria for Actions

• Within city’s authority

• Achievable in 1 term

• Highly relevant to Philadelphia residents and businesses

• Successfully applied in peer city

• Cost neutral or funding identified

Terry Madonna Poll

Environment = Neighborhood • 1 in 3 businesses and 1 in 5 residents

had flooding in past year• 1in 4 had vacant property catch fire or

become source of crime in past year• 1 in 3 households have asthma

Must Improve neighborhood environment and City infrastructure to grow economy

Next Great City helped make the 2007 Mayoral election the “greenest race in Philadelphia history”.

• Next Great City Mayoral Forum• Green policy papers issued• Ballot question on Zoning passed

Impact

In Mayor Nutter’s first budget address and 5-year plan, 7 of the 10 Next Great City recommendations are mentioned or funded.

Reduce Asthma Caused by Soot from City Trucks

• One in 3 Philadelphia households has a member with asthma

• Philly ranked 3rd worst place in country to live with asthma

• Diesel trucks one of biggest sources of pollution in our neighborhoods. Trucks spew soot and 40 toxins that increase asthma rates

• By 2011, Philadelphia should place pollution filters on older City trucks

Progress Report:• The $1.2 million Sunoco settlement money is

being used to refrofit street sweepers and haulers.

• The City is also leveraging the money to acquire matching funds- including $60,000 it received to retrofit fire trucks.

Reduce Asthma Caused by Soot from City Trucks

Maintain Healthy Parks

• 6 out of 10 residents use parks regularly but many parks are poorly maintained

• The City should select Fairmount Park Commissioners through open process

• Form effective private-public partnerships • Revenues earned through park activities

should be used in the parks

Maintain Healthy Parks

Progress Report:• Council is considering legislation that would

consolidate Fairmount Park and the Dept of Recreation as well as reform Park leadership

• Mayor Nutter's Five Year Plan proposes an increase of $2.5 million for the park in FY 2009 and a total of $19 million over the next five years.

Use Clean Energy & Construct Energy-Efficient Buildings

City should buy or generate 5% of its energy from clean, local energy sources and require City and School District new construction to meet Silver LEED standards to:– Deliver emergency services during disasters– Create jobs in alternative energy industries– Reduce pollution and energy use

Use Clean Energy & Construct Energy Efficient Buildings

Progress Report:• In April of 2007, Mayor Street signed a

contract with PECOWind to purchase 8,500 megawatt hours, or about 4% of the City’s energy use

• In January of 2008, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown introduced legislation requiring all new buildings over 10,000 sq ft receiving public funding be built to LEED standards

Clean and Green Vacant Lots

• Philadelphia Green has transformed 3000 abandoned lots in the past 5 years

• City should continue to fund Clean and Green program - a nationally recognized best practice

• Moves crime, fires, unsanitary conditions and drugs from neighborhood properties

Clean and Green Vacant Lots

Progress Report:• In the Spring of 2006, GreenPlan Philadelphia

was created by 13 city agencies with the goal of sustaining, creating and improving open space in Philadelphia.

• Funding for the PhillyGreen program will continue in the future budget

Expand & Improve Recycling Citywide

• Increase City’s recycling rate from 6% - the 2nd worst in nation for large cities and save over $17 million each year

• Demonstration project showed that 90% of households will recycle if provided with weekly curbside pickup, a large, single-sort container and incentives

Expand & Improve Recycling Citywide

Progress Report:• All of the Mayoral candidates signed on to a

5-point agenda to improve recycling.

• Single stream recycling was expanded to Center City and South Philadelphia. 

• Mayor Nutter backed committed $6.1 million for recycling in 2009 and $25 million over the next five years. This infusion of money means that the entire city will have single stream, weekly recycling by the end of the year!

Create Public Riverfronts

• City should create vibrant greenways to open up rivers to residents while balancing the needs of industry

– Rezone riverfronts to require construction back from water’s edge and public access

– Accept land donations

• Provide timely public information on water quality by posting red flag warnings

Create Public Riverfronts

Progress Report:• Civic Vision for the Central Delaware

released in November of 2007• Action plan for Central Delaware to be

released in June of 2008• Working on 100-ft buffer campaign for all city

riverfronts

Stop Sewer Backups & Flooding

• 1 in 3 businesses and 1 in 5 residents experience flooding after a rain storm

• When stormwater overwhelms sewers – water floods surface, sewage backflows to nearest outlet

• The City should prioritize repairs in areas with repeated flooding & backflow problems

• City should fund repairs through a more accurate stormwater fee based on the burden the property places on the sewers

Stop Sewer Backups & Flooding

Progress Report:• Starting in July of 2007, PWD offering

backwater valves for affected homeowners• PWD also proposed to reallocate stormwater

fees and provide a credit/incentive program to customers, supported by the Mayor

Improve Transit Stops

• City is responsible for maintaining 12,000 transit stops and many are unsafe and poorly maintained

• City should negotiate a new contract with national advertising firm to place 100’s of new shelters and regularly maintain stops

• City should encourage community groups and businesses to “Adopt a Stop”

Improve Transit Stops

Progress Report:• In Dec. of 2006, City issued an RFP for a new

Street Furniture contract. Many concerns with the RFP, including no inclusion of public input and a lack of additional amenities

• Legislation to approve giving the contract to Clear Channel was stalled

• Mayor confirmed commitment to releasing new, more inclusive RFP

Replant Neighborhood Trees

• Philadelphia lost 200,000 street trees from 1976 to 2004

• Trees reduce asthma, stormwater flooding, energy use and heat related deaths and enhance the beauty of neighborhoods

• The City should replace the 23,000 street trees that were removed during the past 5 years

Replant Neighborhood Trees

Progress Report:• Mayor Nutter has committed $1 million in the

FY 2009 budget to help meet his goal of planting 25,000 trees over the next five years. This money is allocated through the Fairmount Park budget, but additional funds from other sources are also being sought.

Adopt Modern Zoning

Communities need a zoning code that enforces their community plans and provides clear, predictable rules for what can be built on every parcel, and that will:

• Encourage healthy building practices that use less energy and impervious surface

• Redevelop land around transit hubs • Protect community owned parks and

gardens with an open space designation

Adopt Modern Zoning

Progress Report:• Voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot

measure allowing the City to create the Zoning Code Commission

• ZCC members have been appointed and are meeting regularly. They have asked for an extension of time to do their full review and to make recommendations on updates

Partner With Us To Reach Our Goal:

To have the next Mayor and City Council implement necessary, reasonable and achievable changes that will strengthen Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, improve its environmental quality, increase its economic competitiveness, and make Philadelphia the NEXT GREAT CITY!

Help Us Become The Next Great City