sustainability : Development News

The initial draft version of Philadelphia2035, the prodigious, 216-page guide to the next 25 years of the city's physical development, was first made available to the public (as a downloadable PDF) back in mid-February. But for four hours throughout the afternoon of March 23, members of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission hosted an informal gathering at the Center for Architecture, where physical copies of the draft were presented to the public. More than 100 Philadelphians stopped by during the course of the day.

The purpose of the open house, according to the PCPC's Alan Urek, who acted as one of the event's hosts, was to put the draft recommendations of the plan's citywide component on exhibit for literally anyone who was interested in reviewing it, or leaving comments of their own. Five different stations, each displaying a blown-up portion of the plan, were arranged in a semi-circle in a small room behind the AIA Bookstore. And next to each station was a large flipchart, upon which visitors were encouraged to comment.

"Philadelphia is very friendly to senior citizens," read one such comment. "We choose to live here because of the walkability and activity occurring in metro-center."

"Survival of the fittest," read another note. "Deannex [the Northeast]."

"Did we reach all corners of Philadelphia (during the open house)?" Urek asks. "Probably not. But I was quite encouraged that of the people that came, virtually everyone I talked to had a positive perspective [of the plan]."

Urek also emphasized that for approximately one more week, even those when didn't attend are welcome to post comments and suggestions online. All of those comments, Urek says, will be seriously considered before the revised draft is presented to the City Planning commission in about three weeks. The plan's citywide version will then be finalized in May, and a release party will be held in early June.

Source: Alan Urek, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched its hugely popular Energy Star program back in 1992, but during its first few years, the main purpose was simply to promote consumer products that had high levels of energy efficiency, and low levels of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, when the voluntary labeling program first began, computers were the only products that could earn the prestigious logo. And yet in 1999, the Energy Star label was made available to any commercial building that could meet its stringent environmental requirements. Indeed, only the top 25 percent of the nation's energy efficient structures receive the label.

The good news locally is that the Greater Philadelphia area seems to have embraced the program significantly. On March 15, the EPA announced that because the region added so many energy efficient buildings in 2010 - many of them schools - its national ranking has risen to 14th in the nation, up from its 2009 ranking of 24th.

Indeed, the list of Energy Star-certified buildings in the area stretches to 130, and many of the names are surprisingly familiar: There's the Aramark Tower, for instance, and the Wanamaker Building, and dozens of elementary schools. But perhaps one of the most impressive examples locally is the SEPTA building, where lighting sensors and window film were added in an effort to become certified.

According to the EPA's Emily Linn, this is a hugely significant achievement for the region, partly due to the fact that Energy Star-certified buildings typically use 35 percent less energy, and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide, than non-certified buildings.

"The efforts of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability certainly helped a lot," she says, referring to the city's newly improved rating. Through the process of being certified, "I think (companies are) realizing they can save a lot of money," she adds. "Honestly, I think the program sells itself."

Source: Bonnie Smith and Emily Linn, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Penn Praxis and the City of Philadelphia launched the ambitious Green2015 plan back in December 2010, it was announced that one of the program's main goals would include the transforming of 500 city acres of underused land into green spaces accessible by any member of the public. This month, ground was finally broken at the new Hawthorne Park, the first park to be constructed since the announcement. Construction of the three-quarter acre green space, which is located at the corner of 12th and Catherine streets in South Philadelphia, will cost $2.2 million, with $1.1 million coming in the form of a grant from the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"We've got a 9,200-acre park in the city," says Mayor Nutter's Press Secretary, Mark McDonald, referring to Fairmount Park. "But we've also got a lot of neighborhoods that are quite a ways from any kind of a green space. And this Hawthorne Park is a wonderful reclamation of what had been a housing area, but now is going to be transformed into a really beautiful place where people in an urban environment can walk in, and just chill."

What's more, Hawthorne Park is being designed as a sustainable green space, and will be part of a two-year sustainable construction and landscape design program known as SITES. According to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis, the majority of the park's sustainable aspects will revolve around stormwater runoff issues. The Philadelphia Water Department, he explains, is "trying to manage all stormwater naturally, so (Hawthorne Park) will capture stormwater from around the [park's] immediate area, and naturally manage it, and not run it into holding tanks."

According to the mayor's office, Hawthorne Park will also feature low-energy lighting. A variety of plants will also be introduced to the park, which is expected to be complete by spring 2012

Source: Michael DiBerardinis, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Located just east of Philadelphia's upscale Fairmount neighborhood, and just north of Spring Garden, the small North Philly district of Francisville is probably best known locally for its extreme economic diversity. And now, two of the organizations that have been most active in changing and improving the face of the neighborhood--a nonprofit developer known as Community Ventures, and the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation--have teamed up to create the 44-unit Francisville East, an affordable housing development with a stunning aesthetic sensibility that belies its status as a low-income development.

Outsiders who visit the neighborhood, in fact, often mistakenly assume that Francisville East is an example of the gentrification taking place there. "It's kind of interesting," says Community Venture's David LaFontaine, with a chuckle. "(One of the TV networks) did a news report on Francisville, and they kept taping our building. But they were referring to all the economic changes and the gentrification. It is a really nice building," he adds. "It's the most attractive thing being built. But it's not actually gentrification."

Not even close. Residents of Francisville East, in fact, earn somewhere between 20 and 60 percent of the area's median income. And the project's apartment building, which is home to 27 one-bedroom units, was built specifically with senior citizens and the handicapped in mind. Still, the decidedly modern development, which sits on the 1500 block of Poplar Street, and on a lot that was previously trash-strewn and filled the detritus of construction equipment, also features a small garden, permeable sidewalks, solar panels, and off-street parking.

"The neat part," LaFontaine adds, "is that we sort of tackled the worst block in the neighborhood. It was sort of the epicenter of blight in Francisville. And we got rid of it."

Source: David LaFontaine, Community Ventures
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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In Philadelphia, at least, there seems to be one in every neighborhood: The little old lady who sweeps the sidewalk every Saturday morning, for instance. Or maybe the family man next door, who surprises you on snowy days by shoveling your stoop before you've even gotten out of bed. At the offices of Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, a nonprofit whose mission involves "engag[ing] individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments," those kindly neighbors are lovingly referred to as community leaders. And from now until March 21, KPB is asking anyone who happens to know such a neighbor to nominate them for its Token Appreciation Awards. The award winners will be presented with a medallion on April 1 during a recognition ceremony at which Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlon, will appear as a special guest.

"I wanted to fill a void," says Phoebe Coles, the nonprofit's executive director, when asked how the awards came to be. "I realized there were so many people in the city doing good work. And they don't necessarily get recognized, even in their neighborhoods."

In 2008, when KPB first celebrated the city's community leaders, there was "a really nice cross-section of people that were nominated," says Coles, including the bicycle activist Russell Meddin. And yet unfortunately, there were no kids nominated in 2008; that's a situation Coles hopes to rectify this time around. "I'm particular about trying to find some people to highlight the youth in their community who are doing good work," she says. "Because I know there's a lot of them out there!"

To nominate a selfless someone in your part of Philadelphia, simply send a nomination note of 50 words or less to [email protected]. And let's put that whole "Filthadelphia" thing to rest, once and for all. (For complete nomination instructions, click here.)

Source: Phoebe Coles, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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It's nearly impossible these days to walk through downtown Philadelphia without passing by at least one outpost of the local Marathon restaurant group, which now has six separate eateries in the city. Marathon is currently in the process of constructing its seventh location, although this particular site, which is being built atop a vacant lot in Brewerytown, won't have four walls or a ceiling, or even a proper kitchen or a dining room. That's because Marathon's newest location will actually be an urban farm. The company is building it with the dual intentions of providing fresh food to the community and the various Marathon restaurants.

The idea for the farm was initially planted about nine months ago, when Marathon's owner, Cary Borish, was looking for new ways to make his restaurants more environmentally friendly. At the time, says Borish, "I didn't really understand what the spirit of urban farming was." But after Borish became reacquainted with a former employee, Patrick Dunn, who runs an urban farm in East Kensington, "I really bought into it, and a light went off," he says.

Dunn laid down the basic tenets of the urban farming philosophy--food security, nutrition, the fostering of community--and the two men realized they could use the restaurant not only as a vehicle to raise money for the project, but also to help build awareness of the urban farming movement in general. What's more, Borish says that while roughly half of the food grown will be served in his restaurants, the remaining half will be sold at reasonable rates at at an on-site food stand.

The 15,750 square-foot farm is scheduled to be up and running by March 21. A fundraising 'Hoedown' event will happen March 20 at Marathon's 929 Walnut Street location, while on March 26, a candlelit 'Farmraiser Dinner' will take place at the restaurant's 1339 Chestnut Street location.

Source: Cary Borish, Marathon
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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It probably goes without saying that the average visitor to the Philadelphia International Flower Show, which kicked off this past Sunday and runs through March 13, doesn't likely expect to encounter anything even remotely political or societally challenging during their time at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where the show is being held. But this year, along with the copious floral displays and the gardening exhibitions, the nonprofit New Kensington CDC will be hosting an exhibit that began as a vacant and littered inner-city lot, and which explores the significant effect that simple, do-it-yourself gardening can have on blighted urban neighborhoods.

"From Blight to Blossom" is the name of the exhibit, and its conception was the result of a partnership between the New Kensington CDC and Philadelphia's Office of Housing and Community Development. Its intention, according to a press release describing the project, is to "tell the story of an urban side-yard transformed from a vacant lot into a garden."

"It struck us as a really good opportunity to let the public know about the ways in which the city is working with local groups to improve the quality of life in the city's neighborhoods," says Paul Chrystie, of the OHCD. The exhibit itself is essentially a recreated lot that has been transformed by Kensington-area children. There are hand-painted flower pots and a garden path built of steppingstones, and as Chrystie explains, the project, which was paid for by the Philadelphia Flower Show, was completed for less than $1,000. The idea, says Chrystie, is to convince visitors to undertake something similar in their own neighborhoods.

"It really is an economic development strategy as well as an aesthetic and an environmental one," Chrystie says of the greening of vacant city lots, which has been proven to increase property values. "And that's one of the reasons we've been funding them for so long."

Source: Paul Chrystie, Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development  
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Sarah Clark Stewart, Campaign Director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says while her organization has grown considerably over the past few years in Philadelphia proper, the activity has been decidedly less sin the suburbs.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's essentially why the Coalition organized its first-ever Biking the Suburbs Conference, which happened Feb. 12 at the Montgomery County Fire Academy in Conshohocken. At the workshop-style conference, cyclists who live or work in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery or Bucks counties not only had the opportunity to learn about the most pressing bike advocacy issues affecting their communities today--they also had the chance to interact with other like-minded area cyclists.

One of the main goals of the conference, says Clark Stewart, was to encourage the attendees to become just as politically involved as urban cyclists tend to be. "We want to help them advocate for whatever it is that they want," says Clark Stewart, "whether it's a new bike lane, or better conditions on the streets for bicycling."

To that end, planners from each of the four counties represented directed hour-long conversations about current transportation projects that directly affect suburban cyclists. Attendees learned how to go about the process of getting their own bike lines developed, for instance. They heard about the status of the high-profile Chester County and Schuylkill River trails, and about the controversial Betzwood Bridge project. They also learned about upcoming plans to create a more bike-friendly West Chester.

"I hope [the attendees learned] that there's a lot of potential to have an impact on their own place of residence," says Clark Stewart. "And that we want to help give them the tools they need to make those improvements."

To learn more about bicycle advocacy projects in your own community, visit the Bicycle Coalition online.

Source: Sarah Clark Stewart, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Even for those of you who give only cursory attention to local media outlets, it was nearly impossible over the past week to miss the bevy of economic development-related news coming out of the Navy Yard. Perhaps the most visible had to do with the forthcoming expansion of Urban Outfitters, Inc.; on Feb. 9, Mayor Nutter's office announced that the company will soon occupy two new structures on the campus. According to the Mayor's office, Urban's investment in those two buildings, one of which is the former Navy Yard Cruise Ship Terminal, and which together clock in at slightly more than 100,000 square feet, will total roughly $30 million. What's more, Urban Outfitters says it hopes to add roughly 1,000 new permanent jobs and three additional buildings over the next three years.

The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline had similar news to share last week: Working with Liberty Property Trust, it plans to build a LEED Platinum Certified building near the Navy Yard's front entrance. It's referring to the structure, which will occupy 205,000 square feet, as "the workplace for the 21st century." Construction of the project, which is being estimated as an $81 million investment, could be complete as early as late summer. GSK will be moving all its 1,300 employees currently working in Center City to the Navy Yard, and according to the Navy Yard's Williams J. Agate Jr., "as part of that move, (GSK is) calling this their North American headquarters."

The recent developments underscore the importance of the major piece tying them all together--the $150 million Clean Energy Campus. "It's a hard topic for people to really understand the significance of," says Agate, "but it very firmly puts Philadelphia in the center of the energy efficiency conversation. And that is right where you want to be."

To learn more about the Clean Energy Campus, click here and here.

Source: Williams J. Agate Jr., Vice President of Navy Yard Management and Development
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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If you've ever experienced the huge burst of inspiration that often accompanies a work-related seminar, you've probably also suffered the inevitable psychological let-down that tends to occur as the daily grind gets in the way of your best-laid plans. It's something even the most dedicated among us have experienced, and that's exactly why the story of Kensington Farms and the upcoming Green Wall Project is so inspiring.

The story starts with a visit of community leaders to a training session held annually by NeighborWorks America, a government-funded community building organization. The conference aims to help residents "come up with one good idea for their neighborhood," explains Ade Fequa of the New Kensington CDC.

And yet the team organized by Fequa and his colleague, Tom Potts, took that challenge one step further, and settled on two good ideas. Potts is heading up the Green Wall Project, which will use low-flow planters and wire mesh to literally create green, flowering walls alongside three neighborhood structures this spring, including Johnny Brenda's and Eileen's Hair Salon. The project is being paid for with a $2,000 grant from NeighborWorks, although Potts says other business owners in the area will soon be able to sponsor similar green walls on their own buildings for roughly $600.

The goal of Fequa's Kensington Farms project, meanwhile, which is being covered by a separate $2,000 NeighborWorks grant, is to convert a vacant lot at the corner of Frankford and Cambria into a garden operated by local residents. And although no deal has yet been inked on that particular lot, Fequa says he'll look elsewhere in the immediate area if need be. "There's a great disparity of fresh food that's available in the area," Fequa says, "and there's lot of drug activity and bad things happening there. We want to focus as many resources there as possible, so we can try to turn that area around."

Source: Ade Fequa and Tom Potts, New Kensington CDC Neighborhood Advisory Committee
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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In an email message that Gabriel Mandujano recently sent around to friends and family, he was quick to admit that the opening of a new laundry business, of all things, was an odd career move for someone who studied urban revitalization at Penn and real estate at the Wharton School, and who formerly worked as director of The Enterprise Center's CDC.

But Wash Cycle Laundry, the sustainable business Mandujano launched last December in West Philly, is certainly not your average, everyday laundry enterprise. For starters, it's "a green, socially responsible business that aspires to radically reduce the water and energy consumed by the $20 billion commercial laundry industry," as Mandujano noted in his email. Every last bag of laundry is delivered by bicycle, for instance, and the all-natural Sun & Earth detergent, manufactured in King of Prussia, is the only detergent used.

What's more, Wash Cycle Laundry recently relocated into a green, coin-operated Laundromat at the corner of South and 16th streets, where the Wash Cycle staff will be hosting something of a grand opening party on Feb. 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Along with inspecting the new digs, you'll be able to check out the Energy Star-rated Electrolux soft mount washers that make the use of driers--which suck up massive amounts of energy--practically obsolete.

Aside from Mandujano's commitment to workforce development, what's next for the company? "It's still a baby, so it's hard to know who it's going to be when it grows up," Mandujano says. "But if the laundry pick-up and delivery works here in Philadelphia, there's no reason why it wouldn't work in Brooklyn or D.C. or wherever."

Currently, Wash Cycle Laundry picks up in West Philly and a huge swath of Center City. Individuals looking for pick-up and delivery service can click here for details; businesses click here.

Source: Gabriel Mandujano, Wash Cycle Laundry
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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One of the most consistently exciting aspects of the Philadelphia's current dining scene is its propensity to never slow down or grow stale. Here's our regularly occurring rundown of restaurant opening buzz:

Native Philadelphia chef Joshua Lawler, along with his wife, Colleen Lawler, will be debuting what will certainly be one of the city's most talked about new farm-to-table restaurants, The Farm and Fisherman, at 1120 Pine Street. Most recently the chef de cuisine for Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State, Lawler's first solo venture will be sustainably sourced, as he plans to develop relationships with area farmers and New Jersey fisherman.

Other new area cafes and eateries worth investigating include Plenty, a Tim McGinnis-helmed prepared-foods deli that will feature cold cuts and both lunch and dinner options to-go. It's scheduled to open Feb. 1 on the ever-evolving East Passyunk strip.

Meanwhile, the recently opened Elixr Coffee, in Center City, is the newest entrant to Philly's community of coffee shops that take the sourcing and preparation of espresso beans incredibly seriously. Elixr's drop-dead gorgeous interior design makes a visit worthwhile all by itself, as does the PT's Coffee and Marathon Grill sandwiches currently on offer.

Source: Profile Public Relations
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Back in November 2010, West Philadelphia's much-loved Mariposa Food Co-op announced that after decades of successfully selling healthy and sustainable food from its tiny storefront at 4726 Baltimore Ave., it would finally be moving to a much larger location that could better handle its quickly growing membership.

After eventually purchasing that larger location--the landmark Belmont Trust Company Building at 4824 Baltimore Ave.--and partnering with the sustainable Re:Vision Architecture company, the team at Mariposa is more prepared than ever to complete its upcoming relocation, which is currently expected to happen during the fall of 2011, according to Mariposa's Leah Pillsbury. "Our offices are now sitting in the new building, and construction is just starting," says Pillsbury. Along with financing from the PIDC, a Community Design Collaborative grant, and help from The Reinvestment Fund, low-interest loans from Mariposa customers have also been an important source of expansion funding.

Probably the biggest change scheduled to take place when Mariposa moves into its new ecologically-sustainable location, which will be home to 2,500 square feet of retail space, is that non-members will be able to shop there. As Pillsbury explains, "If we're saying that part of this project is to create food access in the neighborhood, then we have to make it accessible."

What's more, a slew of workshops and other projects scheduled to take place in the new building are currently being planned. A larger community meeting space will exist at the store, which is also currently planning its own rooftop garden, a small beekeeping center, and a number of cooking and nutrition classes. It's quite possible, of course, that other community-based events will have been planned by the time the new store opens. After all, as Pillsbury herself says, "What used to be a real niche market is now a more mainstream market. Organic food sales are up all around."

Source: Leah Pillsburgh, Mariposa Food Co-op
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Outside of the aviation sector, the hospitality business has long been one of the travel industry's worst offenders in terms of overall non-sustainability. The Hilton Hotels Corporation, however, is currently in the midst of a multi-million dollar attempt to permanently alter that perception with a sweeping round of sustainable renovations. What's more, travelers staying at Hilton's Inn at Penn property in West Philadelphia will soon have a chance to experience a number of the company's eco-friendly initiatives first-hand.

Probably the oddest and most attention-grabbing sustainable effort was a recent upgrade to the uniforms sported by the hotel's front-desk staff. Each uniform was manufactured from approximately 25 recycled plastic bottles, a process that reduces harmful air emissions. The housekeeping and food staff will be outfitted with the uniforms in the coming months.

Along with the hotel's staff, the 238 guestrooms and suites will also be undergoing sustainable improvements soon. An energy-saving system known as LightStay, for instance, will be installed; it calculates and analyzes heat and energy use in the hotel's guestrooms, thereby reducing carbon output, waste output and water use. According to Mark Ricci, a director of corporate communications for the hotel group, "All of this ties into Hilton Worldwide's commitment to environmental sustainability."

And although guestrooms and suites will also soon be fully renovated with everything from ergonomic chairs to luxury bathrooms with Euro-style showers, it's not unlikely that the new iPads--one for every room--will ultimately prove to be among the most popular of the hotel's upcoming enhancements. Hilton's Inn at Penn will be the first hotel in the city to offer the popular tablet computers, which will be used as remote controls, and as a way to access hotel services and information.

Source: Mark Ricci, Hilton Worldwide
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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