Greenway urged for rivers
By St. John Barned-Smith
Philadelphia Daily News, October 6, 2009
If the Coalition for Philadelphia's Riverfronts gets its way, Philadelphia will get a huge piece of jewelry - an emerald band of continuous parkland stretching along the city's rivers.
Today, the coalition of civic, neighborhood, government, faith-based and business groups will announce a campaign to push City Council to create the greenway, which would extend from the east bank of the Schuylkill to its terminus with the Delaware near the airport, then north along the west bank of the Delaware.
Coalition coordinator Rachel Vassar said that the coalition wants legislation requiring riverfront developers to set aside land wide enough for multiuse trails. The trail, ideally, would wrap around existing buildings.
The greenway would benefit the city's environment, economy and community, Vassar said, bringing better air and water filtration, as well as helping mitigate the city's heat.
The project dovetails with Mayor Nutter's "Greenworks Philadelphia" effort.
A 10-year "waterfront vision" for the Delaware has called for continuous trails between Oregon and Allegheny avenues. The coalition's effort would connect trails along both rivers. The kickoff will take place at the Schuylkill Banks Plaza near the Art Museum at 5 p.m. with nearly 40 advocacy groups from all over the city.
Today, the coalition of civic, neighborhood, government, faith-based and business groups will announce a campaign to push City Council to create the greenway, which would extend from the east bank of the Schuylkill to its terminus with the Delaware near the airport, then north along the west bank of the Delaware.
Coalition coordinator Rachel Vassar said that the coalition wants legislation requiring riverfront developers to set aside land wide enough for multiuse trails. The trail, ideally, would wrap around existing buildings.
The greenway would benefit the city's environment, economy and community, Vassar said, bringing better air and water filtration, as well as helping mitigate the city's heat.
The project dovetails with Mayor Nutter's "Greenworks Philadelphia" effort.
A 10-year "waterfront vision" for the Delaware has called for continuous trails between Oregon and Allegheny avenues. The coalition's effort would connect trails along both rivers. The kickoff will take place at the Schuylkill Banks Plaza near the Art Museum at 5 p.m. with nearly 40 advocacy groups from all over the city.