As part of our last hurrah before we wrap the The Next Mayor project, we're partnering up with the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania to present a series of "Green" ideas from cities throughout the world.
Graduate students at Fels researched a number of initiatives that could easily be replicated here in Philadelphia to help Mayor Nutter achieve his goal of making Philadelphia "the greenest city in the country."
You can get a sneak preview of the op-ed that will be appearing in tomorrow's Daily News and check out the full list of these green ideas.
We thought locally but looked globally. And now we're challenging you to do the same.
Have you heard of any good ideas that are happening in other cities to help lessen the environmental impact of the people in those cities? Do you have any ideas of your own? Feel free to make suggestions in the comments of this blog post. We'll be promoting the best suggestions to their own posts throughout the day on Friday.
Comments (4)
Whoa whoa whoa! Wrap up The Next Mayor project!? Did I miss something? Man I hope you're not going anywhere...
Posted by Evan | February 8, 2008 3:16 AM
Retrofit Philadelphia's miles of alleys and small streets with environmentally sustainable materials to prevent run-off of non-point source pollutants via stormwater. Chicago is doing this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/us/26chicago.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Also, embrace more "green roof" systems in the city which accomplishes a similar goal.
Posted by Mike | February 8, 2008 9:46 AM
What if we could figure out a way to protect the environment and grow Philadelphia's economy at the same time?
There is growing momentum behind creating "green-collar" jobs. These are major economic opportunities created by green construction, solar panel installation, building wind farms, and a host of other environmentally friendly economic activity.
Why can't we make Philadelphia a hub for green building and supplies? These are jobs that cannot be outsourced to China and could provide a pathway out of poverty for many unskilled or uneducated workers.
Posted by Ben Waxman | February 8, 2008 10:38 AM
This is all fine and dandy. But I didn't see anything about sweeping the streets. Most of the great cities have street cleaning / sweeping services for at least the major corridors. Our city doesn't. Our city is absolutely filthy. Have you ever been up or down Snyder Ave? Green is about perception as much as it is action.
Posted by Anonymous | February 8, 2008 1:38 PM