Next Great City: Philadelphia - Volume IV, Issue III

FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY FOR GREENWAY

The future of a riverfront greenway system in Philadelphia got a tremendous boost last week. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program awarded $23 million to Philadelphia and Camden to help complete a network of biking and walking trails throughout the region.  This funding will fill in vital gaps in the East Coast Greenway and Schuylkill River Trail systems along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, which will not only bring new recreational and transportation opportunities to trail users, but will also help revitalize our communities in by creating shovel-ready trail construction jobs and attracting private investment to the region.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities and Mayor Nutter's Metropolitan Caucus all deserve a big thanks and congratulations for their work on securing these funds. 

For a glimpse of what's to come, join the Complete the Schuylkill River Trail Coalition this Saturday, February 27 for a walk through several future trail segments in Southwest and South Philadelphia between Bartram's Garden and the DuPont Crescent site.  Registration is open and available online.

ZONING CODE COMMISSION PUBLIC MEETINGS 

The Philadelphia Zoning Code Commission has released the first of three modules- Administration and Procedures-  that make up the Draft New Zoning Code. The Zoning Code Commission has set up four community meetings so they can hear from you. 

The meetings will be held from 6:00- 8:00 p.m. on the following dates:

• Tuesday, February 23: The Enterprise Center - 4548 Market Street, 19139
• Wednesday, February 24: Northeast High School - 1601 Cottman Avenue, 19111
• Tuesday, March 2: Central High School - 1700 W. Olney Avenue, 19141
• Thursday, March 4: Fels Community Center- 2407 S. Broad Street, 19148

The agenda for each community meeting is the same, so feel free to attend the meeting that is the most convenient for you.

If you can't make it to a meeting, you can also give the ZCC your feedback by taking their online survey. 

COOLEST BLOCK CONTEST KICKS OFF

Who said there's no such thing as a free… roof?  The City of Philadelphia, the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia and the Dow Building & Construction Business Group recently announced a citywide block contest to promote cool roofs. Cool roofs have white coatings that - through their reflectivity - typically keep roofs 50 to 80 degrees cooler than black roofs on hot summer days.

Each house on the street that wins the Coolest Block contest will get a white roof, plus insulation, air sealing and an energy audit, estimated to be worth from $3,000 to $3,500 per home. The improvements will also help the Coolest Block winners save money on their monthly energy bills as much as 20 to 30 percent off their regular bill.

The contest is also a step towards helping Philadelphia meet the Greenworks goal of retrofitting 15 percent of the city's homes with insulation, air sealing and cool roofs.

Further support for cool roofs may be on the way, as Councilman Jim Kenney has proposed legislation that would require cool roofs on all new commercial construction and roof replacements.

To find out more about the contest and how you can enter to win, check out www.retrofitphilly.com. 

PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW

It's that time of year again! The snow is melting and the Philadelphia International Flower Show is about to open, bringing a fresh breath of spring in the form of beautiful blooms. 

All proceeds from the Flower Show support The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and its acclaimed urban greening program, Philadelphia Green, so by attending you will support a great cause. 

This year's theme is "Passport to the World." Don't wait, buy your tickets now for a heck of a mini-staycation. 

SAVE IDEALIST.ORG

In a tough job market like the current one, we all know how important any lead is in finding a new position. For 15 years Idealist.org has helped countless individuals throughout the world and right here in Philadelphia find meaningful employment.  Unfortunately, just when people need all the job-related resources they can get, this invaluable resource is in danger of folding. 

The recession has hit Idealist hard. Most of their funding comes from the small fees they charge organizations for posting jobs, so as many organizations froze their hiring Idealist was left with an enormous budget hole. 

In order for Idealist to continue they need your help. They are accepting donations at http://www.idealist.org/donate. If you were helped by Idealist in the past and are in a position to give back now, please do so, and help spread the word to others who would be interested in supporting this worthy service. 

NEWS

• Biking is good for us, as discussed at a recent forum with rock star and bicycle enthusiast David Byrne
• Plans for a Philadelphia waterfront rail line move forward
• New bike paths will be coming to the region, courtesy of U.S. stimulus funds
• Philadelphia contest aims to whiten city's roofs
• New sugar-based plastics can be tossed in home compost bin
• Blatstein's new urban plan for Northern Liberties
• The Schuylkill is not a place to dump snow
• The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society gets a new leader
• Penn students are scraping food, not snow, to raise awareness about the impact of food waste
• A "green" city plan to reduce storm water runoff
• A forum goes beyond the broken window theory to show how greening can help make communities safer
• New Delaware River bridge may not include walkway
• Labor raises questions about green energy jobs
• Philadelphia recycling rewards program begins
• $27 million available for bueiness loans, grants
• Local grocer recognized at State of the Union
• O'Neill will appeal Lower Merions's decision in county court
• Gluing the city back to the waterfront
• Let's have a Bridge to Somewhere

EVENTS

• Tuesday, February 23 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Zoning Code Commission Community Meeting at The Enterprise Center at 4548 Market St.
• Tuesday, February 23 - 5:30 -9:30 p.m. - Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium at The Academy of Natural Sciences at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
• Wednesday, February 24 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Zoning Code Commission Community Meeting at Northeast High School at 1601 Cottman Ave.
• Friday, February 26 - 11:00 a.m. - 7:30  p.m. - 8th Annual Social Venture Institute at The Hub Cira Center at 2929 Arch St.
• Saturday, February 27 - 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Complete the Schuylkill River Trail Walk at Bartram's Garden at 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd.
• Tuesday, March 2 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Zoning Code Commission Community Meeting at Central High School at 1700 W. Olney Ave.
• Wednesday, March 3 - 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Recycling Tools for Schools K-12 Workshop at Chester County Intermediate Unit Conference Center at 455 Boot Rd, Downingtown
• Wednesday, March 3 - 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. - Energy Star and LEED EBOM:  A Toolkit for Existing Buildings at Temple University Center City at 1515 Market St., Room 222
• Wednesday, March 3 - 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. - MiND TV Open House at MiND Headquarters at 8200 Ridge Ave.
• Wednesday, March 3 - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Green Drinks Philadelphia at Standard Tap at 2nd and Poplar Sts.
• Thursday, March 4 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Zoning Code Commission Community Meeting at Fels Community Center at 2407 S. Broad St.
• Saturday, March 6 - 12:30 p.m. - Bee Friendly Gardening with Jim Bobb at the Unitarian Society of Germantown at 6511 Lincoln Dr.