Since 2008, these two things haven't changed: the world is getting warmer and millions of Americans are out of work. They're not going away any time soon.Green For All was founded on the idea that those two problems could be relieved with a common solution, green jobs. We've seen that this can work; renewable energy businesses are among the fastest growing in the American economy.We've also...
Can farming serve as therapy for those afflicted with cognitive disabilities? The answer’s not as far out there as you might think. In fact, it’s just an hour from the bustling streets of Philadelphia on the serene farmland of Chester County’s Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. The planned community is home to over 100 individuals, 40 of whom are diagnosed with a variety of cognitive disabilities—...
Following the graduation of 47 Citizen Planners in June, the Institute welcomes applicants for the Fall series of classes. The City of Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Planning Institute (CPI), the City’s first educational program designed to engage citizens in the city planning process, has opened the application process for its Fall 2011 Course series. It launched as a pilot last fall and...
Dear Friends of the Mill Creek Farm, Evening thunderstorms and warm sunny days are the perfect recipe for our end of the summer harvest. Up to our ears in tomatoes and summer squash, we are looking forward to reaping sweet potatoes and greens to take us through to Thanksgiving! Our harvest is abundant but we need $25,000 to keep the farm in operation this season, so it's time for some...
The area immediately surrounding 30th Street Station, while an important gateway to University City and the entire Philadelphia region, has long been among the least hospitable pedestrian landscapes in University City. The site is adjacent to the second busiest train station in the country, between two magnificent historic buildings, and within 1200 feet of over 16,000 jobs. Thanks to the...
Local nonprofit PhillyCarShare has announced that it has been purchased by Enterprise, the national car rental chain and the world's largest car rental company.PhillyCarShare faced a debt of nearly $2.7 million in back taxes it owes to the state. The debt made it impossible to acquire new cars and grow the company. Sources say creditors were knocking on their doors, financing for a new fleet was...
For a long time, America's environmental community celebrated wilderness and the rural landscape while disdaining cities and towns. Thoreau's Walden Pond and John Muir's Yosemite Valley were seen as the ideal, while cities were seen as sources of dirt and pollution, something to get away from. If environmentalists were involved with cities at all, it was likely to be in efforts to oppose...
For those of you who don’t know there’s a group in Philadelphia called the Next Great City Coalition.It has high ambitions.In 2007, the group came together to help in the formation of the Zoning Code Commission, which is responsible for reviewing and recommending a host of changes to the cumbersome, antiquated Philadelphia zoning code. City Council is set to resume hearings on the proposed...
On August 5th, the Friends of Race Street Pier, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, hosted a First Friday celebration on the pier.The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation indicated that the pier had one of its best attended nights with 1,414 visitors who came to enjoy the party on the pier.Brass Heaven, the band stationed on...
It's a park that fits in a pickup truck. Philadelphia's newest public space initiative, The Parklet, made its debut on Aug. 4 in University City. Flanking the sidewalk on 43rd Street at Baltimore Avenue, the 40-foot long decked platform functions as a highly flexible seating area that takes the place of about three parked cars. The seasonal structure, made of Trex, steel and wood, can be...
