IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Green Building Legislation Becomes Law

On Tuesday, January 19, Mayor Nutter signed into law legislation introduced by  Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown that would require any new construction or major renovation of large city government buildings be designed, constructed and certified at the silver level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The LEED-silver requirement within Bill No. 080025 applies to construction projects over 10,000 square feet that are primarily funded by City capital dollars and are controlled by the City. The ordinance requires that projects to be designed and constructed use at least 20 percent less energy than basic code-compliant structures. It applies to capital projects undertaken by all departments and agencies across the City, including the Airport, Water Department, and Public Property.

The signing of this law also fulfills a Next Great City recommendation for the city to build energy-efficient buildings! Many thanks to Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and everyone involved in its passage.

Philadelphia Aims to Increase Energy Efficiency

To help meet the Greenworks goal of reducing city government energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015, Mayor Nutter announced that the city will hire NORESCO, an energy service company. They will perform an energy audit on targeted city buildings and to recommend energy conservation measures such as lighting upgrades, energy management systems, water conservation measures, and new chillers and heating boilers, to be installed on the municipality’s behalf.

These improvements can decrease a facility’s energy demand by as much as 20 percent annually, and are paid for with the savings generated by the investments.

Legal Services Available to Next Great City Partners

PennFuture’s legal staff works to implement the Next Great City agenda in many ways. Staff attorney Brian Glass represented Next Great City in the successful rate case  to restructure stormwater fees for commercial properties that will incentive best practices. He also provided expert testimony at Planning Commission and City Council hearings regarding the interim zoning overlay for the Central Delaware.

But did you know that PennFuture’s legal staff can also help your organization?  Just ask Sarah Clark Stuart of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia about Brian’s help in researching options for creating a bike trail on a suburban bridge. Or ask Lauren Bornfriend of the Philadelphia Parks Alliance about Brian’s research on parks. 

If your organization has an issue that you’d like to talk to an attorney about, please contact Brian Glass.

Conference on State of Composting in Delaware Valley

Compost Matters is a one-day conference taking place on February 10 that will look at the current state of composting in the Delaware Valley. With a focus on new developments in food-waste composting practices, the forum will bring together innovators, policy makers, and visionaries in the field, examining current barriers to food waste recovery, public policy issues, and successful models from the region and around the state.

Participants will learn about current opportunities for composting food waste and how to include food recovery efforts in their operations. Tours of local composting sites will be offered on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning, February 13. Learn more and register to attend here.

 

Improving Safety Through Better Land Use     

January’s Urban Sustainability Forum will explore the intersection of safety and land use. Playgrounds, abandoned buildings, and well-maintained recreational parklands all variously impact individual and community safety across Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Even in neighborhoods where crime statistics are the lowest, because of vacancies, broken sidewalks and poor lighting the perception may be that those neighborhoods have higher crime rates than they actually do. The panelists will address the research associated with safety as it relates to land use and current efforts that are underway to enhance the quality of life.

Mustering Support for Responsible Drilling     

Increased natural gas driling in Pennsylvania puts our drinking water supply and our forests at risk. PennFuture and others have been working hard to get gas drillers to drill responsibly and pay their fair share to the people of Pennsylvania for the use of our natural and community resources, but we need your help.

Come out to the Marcellus Shale Muster in State College on January 30, and hear from key legislative leaders about the importance of a severance tax on natural gas drilling; get a briefing about the challenges of managing gas drilling on state forest and state park land; and find out how you can help be a part of a strong campaign.

SPREAD THE WORD:

We want every Philadelphian to learn about Next Great City! If you want to help us spread the word, invite a Next Great City representative to come speak at the next meeting of your civic association, church group or other community organization.

In addition, if you'd like copies of the Next Great City report or brochures, contact Christine at 215-545-9692.