MAGA STRUCTURE

A group of ‘designers’ that I think are breaking new ground is the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability in Philadelphia. They are working with Mayor Nutter to make Philly the “greenest city in America”. They are working in collaboration with dozens of city agencies and other organizations to help guide their work in the years to come.
They are pushing the boundaries because they are trying to make a change that’s hopefully city-wide, which could influence other cities to follow. They are looking to, and in the process of, reducing emissions, developing green spaces, and creating new storm water management solutions. Not only does Philly already boast the nations tallest ‘green’ structure (Comcast Center) but Philadelphia will also soon be a leader in solar energy production with the development of a solar system in Bucks County.
The participation of the communities in Philadelphia is critical for their plans to work. People living in Philly are encouraged to recycle and collect rain. If you are located within a watershed area in Philly you can receive a rain collection barrel for free. Not only does it save the resident money on their water bill but it also helps keep the sewers from overflowing when storms hit. The city is also promoting other ways of travel other than car, such as public transportation or bicycles. The city has recently devoted one lane on two streets in center city to bicycle traffic, running east to west from the Deleware to the Schuykill.
There’s another initiative going on called TreeVitalize, which is pretty much what it sounds like, revitalizing the city with trees. Adding more trees will beautify the city, create cleaner air, and also help with the water levels.
Some plans from the Office of Sustainability are easily and immediately implemented but others may take much longer, for example the proposed plan for the Deleware River which would include; 7-mile long trail along central river front, new parks and improving existing ones, easier access to river, creating greenways along the rivers edge, and to create a natural rivers edge and restore the habitat.
Philadelphia is full of people willing and ready to make the changes necessary to make a more sustainable city, these people paired with the Office of Sustainability and hopefully we’ll soon become a city for others to model themselves after.

Chris Mufalli

www.phila.gov/green
www.phillywatershed.org/rainbarrel
www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.com
www.planphilly.com/actionplan