Greenworks Philadelphia Proposal:

How the City Can Become an Ecosystem

By: Matt GisondiMay 4, 2015Capstone Sustainability AnalysisProf. Alex Dews

Existing Greenworks Philadelphia InitiativesCategories

Energy (4 Targets)

Environment (3 Targets)

Equity (4 Targets)

Economy (3 Targets)

Engagement (1 Target)

- Guides, reports, and plans to residents, businesses and

city officials

- Ultimate goal: transform Philadelphia into the “greenest”

city in US

- Report on the shortcomings and challenges as well as

successes

2014 Greenworks

(Fig. 1. Greenworks Philadelphia Future Cityscape Concept)

(Source: Greenworks Philadelphia 2014 Report) (Source: Greenworks Philadelphia 2014 Report)

Personal View on Urban Development

- Most of the world’s population live in urban areas, 51%

according to UN

- Worldwide, urban populations projected to increase

- Cities directly and indirectly contribute to environmental

degradation

- Cities are hubs of information and culture with regional and

national influence- Need to function more like ecosystems

- Use closed-loop processes to lessen raw material consumption and waste

disposal

- Become enhancements to local and regional biodiversity, and bolster

ecosystem resilience

- Reconnect the few remaining patches of wilderness

Reality of Cities

Necessary Change

(Google Image)

- Parks: Create quality greenspaces that provide environmental benefits along with pre-

existing social goals

- Stormwater: Ensure that stormwater infrastructure functions as effectively and limit

unforeseen issues

- Food: Expand the initiative of community farms in both number and operation size

- Transportation: Create arterial bicycle routes, by improving existing cycle lanes, to

connect green spaces

- Waste: Support existing alternative waste disposal operations including composting

reuse/recycling operations

(Google Image)

(Google Image)

(Google Image)

Proposal Overview

Ecosystem Stewardship in Greenspaces

Suggestion 1: Native Planting in Parks and Public SpacesIncrease community involvement and

ownership

- Education program on landscaping with

native plants

- Promote a community greenspace ownership

program

Continue green schoolyard program for public school properties

- schools cover more than 1,400 acres in Philadelphia's combined sewer

area, and 67% of these school sites are covered in impervious surfaces

(GreenTreks Network)

- Reconnects city kids and influences them to promote similar projects in

neighborhoods(Fig. 2. PennPraxis Example of Greenspace Additions to Pre-existing Concrete Parks)

(Source: Green Schools’ Video on Albert Garfield Elementary School)

(Google Image)

(Google Image)

Suggestion 2: Native Planting on Current City-owned Property and Future Development Sites

All future landscaping projects by city must use

natives

- Includes stormwater management and

greenroofs

- Native plants are more effective than adaptive

plants

- Research into high quality natives, high

biodiversity

Creation of measurement(s) for landscape quality

- Measures number of exotic species to native species

- Measures number of bird and insect species via visual records

within a day

- Eventually reinforces new city code of only landscaping with

native plants (Source: Prof. Doug Tallamy Study Results on Native Plant Genus )

(Google Image )

Maintaining Stormwater Infrastructure

Suggestion 1: System of Maintenance and Monitoring Keep record of residential alerts and testing results

- Records of phone calls and emails to PWD

- Website for work orders and residential alerts

- Annual testing via flow rates, outflow sampling, and/or

simulated rainstormsProvide extra, professional help for monitoring and

maintenance

- Internship program for local colleges

- Local collegiate program or PWD training program

- Have separate construction and monitoring

branches(Google Image )

(Fig. 4. Stormwater Flow-rate Test in Portland)

(Fig. 5. Stormwater Infiltration Test in Portland )

(Fig. 3. Installed Stormwater Flow Metering in Portland)

Suggestion 2: Utilize Underground Creek Daylighting to Lessen Stress on Stormwater InfrastructureDaylight an additional 5 miles of underground creek

- Around 165 miles of creeks are flowing underground (Gates)

- Some Philadelphia properties above underground creeks are abandoned

- Indian Creek, reduced annual outflows from 2.9 million gallons to 1.2 million gallons

(Gates)

New development and property codes to promote daylighting

- Check for underground creeks where there are swaths of

abandoned property

- Depending on depth, reintegrate creeks on these properties

- Renaturalize any daylighted creeks, and buffer currently

exposed creeks

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

Upgrading Gardens into Urban AgricultureSuggestion 1:

Development Aid to Entrepreneur Urban Farmers Expansion of existing urban farms or coercion of additional startups

- Provide loans from city to directly invest in urban agriculture

- Provide equipment upgrades as another form of investment

- Short-time tax alleviations for beginning operations; especially

in food desertsProvide better accessibility to local economy

- Connect city farms to small stores, grocery stores, and local

distributors

- Provide winter facilities for famer’s markets

- Expand upon Food Trust’s cornerstore initiative for local

economic benefits

(Google Image )

(Fig. 6. FPAC Corner Store Initiative in Philadelphia )

Suggestion 2: Increase Land Availability Through Unconventional Expansion

Promote three forms of expansion besides vacant lot purchasing

- Green roofs provide large space, and benefit the building and

its residents

- Green walls expand outdoor farming into modular, soil

independent beds

- Vertical farming allows year-round farming and controlled

environmentUpdate Greenworks programs and city policies

- Add research and tactics to Greenworks’ Land Trust and FPAC

manuals

- Update zoning codes to allow vertical farm establishment in

vacant buildings

- Promotion of mixed-use development to include agriculture

capabilities

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

Ecosystem Network via Cyclist Routes

Suggestion 1: Provide Better Infrastructure to Increase Ridership and Attract New DemographicsFocus on areas near/connected to high cycling areas

- Upgrade painted lanes into protected lanes or raised bike

tracks

- Provide securer bike storage near transit hubs and areas of

high visitation

- Implement teaching and training programs for residents

- Set up Philly Bike Share stations around transit hubs and city

attractions

Long term restriction of personal vehicle usage within city

- Monetary penalties to private vehicles (parking fees, road

pricing, etc.)

- Traffic Circulation Plan, 3-level separation (private, public,

pedestrian)

- Pro-biking infrastructure and policies

(Fig. 7. Groningen Traffic Circulation Plan )(Fig. 8. Copenhagen Cycle Left Turn Diagram )

(Google Image )

Suggestion 2: Utilize Cycling Network to Connect Greenspaces

Use example Green Alley programs for inspiration

- Research into programs from Houston, Chicago, and San

Francisco

- Create handbook combining green alley ideas with cycling

infrastructure

- Similar high quality, native plant usage for landscaping Plan for long term network expansion beyond city boundaries

- Connecting to preexisting, regional network encompassing 7

counties

- Ensure natural corridors expand along with routes for better

ecosystem connection

- over 800,000 people use the 98.5 mile Schuylkill River Trail per

year, an activity that directly contributes $7.3 million to the local

economies annually (Bicycle Coalition)

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

Closed-loop Alternatives to Landfills

Suggestion 1: Divert ¼ of City Waste Stream to Composting OperationsResearch into a city-wide composting initiative for large-scale

possibilities

- Undergo a trash audit or data collection of city waste streams

- Research into U.S. cities that implemented a composting initiative

- Search for viable operators and/or appropriate sites for large-

scale compostingPromote creation of more neighbor-hood scale operations

- Provide sites owned by city at a cheaper price to composting

companies

- Offer loans to startup businesses for equipment, trucks, and

containers

- Begin hiring composting operators for municipal office’s trash

stream

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

Suggestion 2: Turn Recycling Stream into Recovery Stream Support local recovery businesses to attract more

startups

- Tax incentives or startup grants/loans

- Hire recovery businesses for city deconstruction

projects

- 3.5 acre facility collects pipe, dry wall, ceiling tiles

and carpets, takes in an average of 150-200 tons a

day (Pacheco)

Setup warehouse facilities to sell recovered materials

- Provide a loan to recovery businesses to setup this addition

on site

- Connect recovery facilities with local hardware stores or craft

stores for a new stream of material exchange

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

Recommended Changes/Additions

- Change zoning and planning policies for Philadelphia

- Continue Land Trust and Land Bank programs

- Ensure future initiatives fulfill the triple-bottom-line

- Utilize incentives, regulations, and a mix of soft and hard policies

- Maintain transparency and a critical eye for all programs

- Adopt ideas and methods from other regions of the country as

well as from other cities around the globe: Europe, Asia, Latin

America, and Africa

(Google Image )

(Google Image )

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Bicycle Coalition. "Greater Philadelphia's Regional Trail Network." The Circuit. Bicycle Coalition, 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://connectthecircuit.org/#!/>.

Chatterjee, Hannah. Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council Annual Report. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, 2014. PDF.

College of the Atlantic. “Doug Tallamy: Biodiversity.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 22 March 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.

Gates, Kellie P. "Daylighting Project Reveals a Hidden Creek." PlanPhilly. WHYY, 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

<http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/01/21/daylighting-project- reveals-a-hidden-creek>.

Green Schools: Albert Greenfield Elementary. Dir. GreenTreks Network. Perf. Albert Greenfield Elementary School. Philadelphia Water Department.

GreenTreks Network, Inc., Sept. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://www.phillywatersheds.org/what_were_doing/green_infrastructure/

programs/greenschools>.

Pacheco, Liz. "Waste Not: Revolution Recovery Is Blazing a Bold New Trail Through the Construction Waste Disposal Business." Grid Magazine. Red Flag Media Inc, 2 Sept. 2011.

Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://www.gridphilly.com/grid-magazine/2011/9/2/waste-not-revolution-recovery-is-blazing-a-bold-new-trail-th.html>.

PennPraxis. Green 2015: An Action Plan for the First 500 Acres. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Dec. 2010. PDF.

Saltzman, Dan, and Dean Marriott. 2010 Stormwater Management Facility Monitoring Report. Portland: Bureau of Environmental Services, Dec. 2010. PDF.

Works Cited