Sometimes the most mundane things can have the biggest impact on our lives. Take building codes and zoning. Please. (Ba da bum)

But seriously, folks. Building and zoning laws can mean the difference between life and death in earthquake and flood zones; between a peaceful or a hostile atmosphere in mixed use neighborhoods; and between energy efficient, non-toxic homes and businesses or wasteful and unhealthy buildings.

To reach its goal of making Philadelphia the greenest city in the nation, the Urban Sustainability Forum held its March meeting, Cracking the Code:  How 21st Century Building and Zoning Codes Will Make or Break Our Communities. This podcast features interviews by PennFuture’s Philadelphia outreach coordinator, Rachel Vassar, with Don Elliott, Senior Consultant, Clarion Associates, and Fran Burns, Commissioner, Department of Licenses and Inspections for the City of Philadelphia, who detail the zoning and building code changes that can help turn Philadelphia green.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts if you subscribe to them through iTunes.

 

Many of us have adjusted our individual habits to conserve materials and resources: recycling regularly, installing programmable thermostats, and replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents.  But how do large corporations and institutions adjust their collective habits?  How is change initiated, and how is it managed?  February's Urban Sustainability Forum highlighted a variety of local Philadelphia institutions and corporations that have implemented sustainability policies. Their actions are helping to mitigate climate change.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Rachel Vassar talks with two of the event presenters. We hear first from Catherine T. Hunt, Ph.D., Director of Technology Collaboration Development at The Dow Chemical Company (which took over Rohm and Haas).  She also served as the 2007 President of the American Chemical Society where she championed education, collaboration, and innovation. At Dow, the company initiated an internal audit of their operational and daily practices- and found a host of opportunities to improve, as well as a number of practical measures that they were already doing that save the company energy and money. One of the "coolest" was putting in a cool, white roof at their facility-- significantly saving money and also extending the life of the roof by at least ten years. Philadelphia homeowners can enter to win a cool roof and other energy-savings retrofits for their entire block of neighbors as part of the Coolest Block Contest. And businesses can join companies like Dow as part of the Greater Philadelphia Green Business Program, a project of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

We then hear from Daniel Garofalo, AIA, LEED-AP, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dan directed the creation of Penn’s first Climate Action plan for carbon emissions reduction, which was released on September 15, 2009. It's a three-part plan aimed at creating a culture of sustainability at Penn. He describes the steps they take to analyze and buildings on campus for their energy performance, so that the biggest energy users (in terms of buildings) are as efficient as possible. Part of the project includes working with students to challenge them to initiate creative solutions to cut their energy use. He notes that staff and faculty are much harder to get motivated and involved!

You can learn more about how to save energy-- and money-- at PennFuture's Web site. There you can also take action and support our ongoing work.

This week’s podcast was recorded at November’s Urban Sustainability Forum in Philadelphia. The topic, Transportation Reform:  The Ticket Back to Town, was featured, exploring the absolute need for public transit and other automobile alternatives if any city is to be sustainable. Older citizens become trapped in their houses, especially in the suburbs, when they are no longer able to drive. Cities without safe and accessible bikeways and pedestrian friendly development are unable to attract younger workers. Yet states and regions continue to gobble up transportation dollars for faster and bigger highway systems, using money that should be used to fix aging transportation systems.

With the federal transportation funding bills now making their way through Congress, it is vital that Pennsylvania’s cities, towns, and regions look beyond what has always been done, and actually examine what their community needs to succeed now and in the future.

This podcast is just what the transportation doctor ordered! PennFuture’s Philadelphia Outreach Coordinator, Rachel Vassar, interviews two great experts, James Corless, director of Transportation for America and Byron Comati, director of Strategic Planning and Analysis for SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority), which serves Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. Together these experts make a thoughtful and compelling case for all communities to seriously consider how transportation choices can help or harm their region.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Shortly before she left on her tour of green Germany, PennFuture's Director of Outreach, Christine Knapp, interviewed the major speakers for our podcast at this month's Urban Sustainability Forum in Philadelphia.

The Forum's topic, Green Infrastructure Financing, was a perfect fit for the speakers:  Patrick Starr, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), who discusses the “green dream” for Philadelphia; Howard Neukrug, PE, director of the Philadelphia Water Department’s office of watersheds, who discussed the view from inside government, and how the city will invest $1.6 billion over 20 years in a sustainable water system; Peter Sortino (currently, president of the Danforth Foundation), who as president of St. Louis 2004 led the charge for Proposition C, a referendum passed to create a Regional Parks District (across two states) with riverside trails and greenways, funded by a one-tenth of one cent sales tax; and Steve Wray, executive director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, who discussed their new report (done in conjunction with PEC) on ways Philadelphia (and other areas) can fund green infrastructure.

PennFuture works every day to bring experts together with policy makers and advocates to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Last November, the citizens of Philadelphia voted overwhelmingly in favor of amending the City Charter to create a new Department of Parks and Recreation and a new Commission. One of the first jobs of the new department is to adopt standards and guidelines for running and expanding the city’s parks.

Striking the right balance between protecting Philly’s parks and citizens’ use of the parks is in the hands of Michael DiBerardinis, the new Commissioner. In this podcast, PennFuture’s Rachel Vassar interviews DiBerardinis as he prepared to speak to the July 2009 Urban Sustainability Forum. She also interviews two experts from other cities, Zari Santner, director of Portland (Oregon) Parks & Recreation and Lucie Springmeyer, Executive Director, Forest Park Forever in St. Louis, Missouri.

Are you a PennFuture member? There’s no time like the present to join. You’ll get first notice on cool programs like the Urban Sustainability Forum, movies, panels, workshops and parties. Donate today at our secure website.

In April, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced the city’s first-ever sustainability plan, Greenworks Philadelphia. This podcast features PennFuture’s Rachel Vassar interviewing two of the people responsible for implement that plan, William Toffey, City Energy Manager at the Mayor's Office of Sustainability and  Scott McGrath- Interim Recycling Coordinator for the city.

Rachel caught them as they were preparing to address the June, 2009 Urban Sustainability Forum, Philadelphia's Sustainability Framework: Filling in the Picture. The Forum provided an in-depth look at the framework, made up of five goals, 15 targets and over 100 initiatives to achieve the goal of making Philadelphia the greenest city in the country.

Are you a PennFuture member? There’s no time like the present to join. You’ll get first notice on cool programs like the Urban Sustainability Forum, movies, panels, workshops and parties. Donate today at our secure website.

The drive to create great green jobs is snowballing in Philadelphia, with more than 50 organizations working together as the Green Economy Task Force. Convened by the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, the group has made tremendous steps forward in helping Philadelphia take advantage of the growth of green collar jobs.

Following on the Urban Sustainability Forum featuring Van Jones, this podcast features speakers from January’s forum, “The Green Economy-Economy and Environment Working Hand in Hand.” The forum discussed best practices from other places, people, and individuals working on green jobs. The podcast features PennFuture’s director of outreach Christine Knapp interviewing David Foster, Executive Director of the Blue Green Alliance; Leanne Krueger-Braneky, Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia; and Chicago’s Aaron Durnbaugh, Deputy Commissioner , Chicago Department of Environment's Natural Resources and Water Quality Division and Patricia Lee- Project Coordinator, Chicago Department of Environment.

Philadelphia’s Urban Sustainability Forum offers monthly presentations featuring the best local, national, and international experts on everything sustainable. Each forum also provides a networking opportunity for the Philadelphia community, who together are working to make the City of Brotherly (and Sisterly) Love the greenest, most livable and most sustainable city in the nation.

On November 20, 2008 the Forum’s topic was “Waste Not, Want Not:  The Economic Argument for Recycling,” featuring PennFuture’s director of outreach Christine Knapp; Neil Seldman, president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance; and Robert Anderson, director of business development and marketing for Blue Mountain Recycling.

Tune in to this podcast to hear interviews of Seldman and Anderson, conducted by Knapp.

Philadelphia is moving forward in becoming the Next Great City. This podcast features PennFuture’s director of outreach, Christine Knapp, at the October 23 Urban Sustainability Forum, “Lights, Carbon, Action:  An Energy Action Agenda for Buildings in Pennsylvania.”

Knapp interviews three of the speakers at the forum:  Dan Griffiths, Deputy Secretary for Energy and Technology Deployment for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Blondell Reynolds Brown, Councilwoman, City of Philadelphia; and Steve Nadel of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.  The three speakers discuss how Philadelphia can become a green building leader.  They discuss what policies need to be in place to reach that leadership goal.

The Urban Sustainability Forum is one of the public education and outreach efforts of the Next Great City coalition. The coalition is dedicated to creating a positive future for Philadelphia by advocating for common sense, cost effective policies that enhance environmental quality, strengthen neighborhoods and increase the city’s economic competitiveness.

Next Great City is coordinated by PennFuture.  Learn more about all of our projects on our website.

This podcast features the voices from Sustainable Philadelphia’s Urban Sustainability Forum, “Taking Back Our Streets--Cars, People, and Pavement,” held on September 18.

PennFuture’s director of outreach, Christine Knapp, interviews Robert Allen, assistant managing director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission; Gary Toth, senior director, Transportation Initiatives with the Project for Public Spaces (PPS); and Pamela H. Zimmerman, AIA, LEED-AP- Brawer & Hauptman, Architects and organizer of Park(ing) Day Philadelphia. Issues discussed on the podcast include GreenPlan Philadelphia, how transportation options impact the city, and plans for Philadelphia’s first Park(ing) Day, which was observed nationally the next day.

The forum was part of the work of the Next Great City coalition, dedicated to creating a positive future for Philadelphia by advocating for common sense, cost effective policies that enhance environmental quality, strengthen neighborhoods and increase our economic competitiveness. 

To learn more about PennFuture's work with the Next Great City project, visit our website. There you can also sign up to receive more information, or make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments. Simply click on "Comments" below.

Philadelphia's Urban Sustainability Forum recently played host to an impressive, interfaith collaboration of individuals, as members from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian congregations gathered to share their stories about being good stewards of the environment.

PennFuture's Joy Bergey played the role of moderator at the event, while Christine Knapp captured interviews. We hear first from Shaheen Kanchwala, a Master's student at the University of Pennsylvania who helped research and plan the event. Ms. Kanchwala got involved in part to see faith in action, and she was not disappointed at this event.

Christine then talks with Rabbi Lawrence Troster, Director of the Fellowship Program and Rabbinic Scholar-in-Residence at GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental coalition in New Jersey. Rabbi Troster has a wealth of experience in the interfaces between faith and environment, serving also as the Rabbinic Fellow of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), the Jewish Chaplain of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson and an Associate of Bard's Institute of Advanced Theology. Rabbi Troster also co-chairs the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment of the United Nations Environment Program (UPEN).

Finally, we hear from Aleciah Anthony, field director at the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition. She has worked with the NWBCCC for eight years, starting as a neighborhood organizer apprentice in the Training Institute for Careers in Organizing, a program that she currently directs. Ms. Anthony has also worked with a team of grassroots community leaders in the Bronx to create the Community Leadership Academy, a training center at NWBCCC that offers a full range of training in the art and science of community organizing.

Discover more about the faith-based organizations involved in the May forum here. To learn more about PennFuture's work in Philadelphia, the Next Great City, visit our site. There you get more involved. As always, we welcome your comments. Simply click "comments" below, or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

Transportation continues to be a prime source of heat trapping gases, soot, smog and serious health problems across the globe. Convenient and cleaner public transit offers one key ingredient for a sustainable city.

On April 17, Sustainable Philadelphia held a Green Transportation Fair and a Forum on Sustainable Transportation to show Philadelphians the latest technology and to learn what other cities are doing to improve their transportation options.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp interviews two of the experts presenting at the forum. Walter Hook, executive director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy discusses the creative solutions being used globally to create public transportation, and to encourage the use of bikes. And Steve Weber, assistant commissioner for strategic planning for New York City's Department of Transportation, talks about the advances made in the past year since Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the city's sustainability plan.

The forum was part of the work of the Next Great City coalition, dedicated to creating a positive future for Philadelphia by advocating for common sense, cost effective policies that enhance environmental quality, strengthen neighborhoods and increase our economic competitiveness.  

To learn more about PennFuture's work with the Next Great City project, visit our website. There you can also sign up to receive more information, or make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments. Simply click on "Comments" below.

The green industry sector in Pennsylvania is gaining momentum right now as you read this post. We have leaders in our state who are working very hard to produce clean energy, green jobs, and working to solve the problem of climate change through business initiatives that focus specifically on the sustainable future of Pennsylvania. The benefits are vast, as public interest, economic growth, and environmentally-conscious practices work in concert.

This week, PennFuture’s Christine Knapp and Tom Tuffey share inspiration from the monthly Urban Sustainability Forum in Philadelphia. The March forum took an in-depth look into the business of supplying clean energy and energy efficiency services. Hear from Sally Silver with the Chester County Economic Development Council, coordinating the Smart Energy Initiative for Southeastern Pennsylvania, a public/private  partnership actively involved in both the supply side and the demand side of the clean energy/energy efficiency market; Sarah Hetznecker, northeast regional business manager of SunTechnics Energy Systems, a leading supplier of solar energy systems, helping to promote state and federal policies to make solar power systems more accessible to the public; Audrey Zibelman, executive vice president and chief operating officer of PJM Interconnection, which operates the world's largest competitive wholesale electricity market and ensures the reliability of the largest centrally dispatched grid in the world; and Brent Alderfer, executive vice president, Iberdrola Renewable Energies USA, a global leader in wind energy, already bringing thousands of new jobs to Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is well positioned in the clean energy sector, and our potential to grow Great Green Jobs for the people of the Commonwealth is overwhelming. Support PennFuture’s initiatives to bring thousands of new jobs home, cut electric bills, and help stop our contributions to global warming by joining our campaign, and by becoming a PennFuture member today.

Policy changes will help make or break the new, clean energy economy of the future. Get involved in passing two critical pieces of legislation, SHB1 and HB2200, both pending in the Pennsylvania Senate. Contact your Senator today, and tell them the importance of a timely "yes" vote on these two bills.

We can create the movements we've always dreamed of-- by linking them together. Efforts to end social injustices including poverty and unemployment, linked with efforts to end global warming and pollution, will become stronger and more effective when combined. These are the visions of powerhouse activist Van Jones, who at the helm of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, CA, is making those visions realities in cities nationwide.

Jones' work is focused on getting and keeping urban youth out of jail and into jobs in the "green" economy. Called "Green Collar Job Creation", and operating under Jones’ slogan "Green Jobs, Not Jails", the program was established in 2005, and is emerging as a powerful beacon of hope for both the underprivileged youth of America, and the future of the environment in which we all live, work, and play.

PennFuture’s Christine Knapp met with Jones before his appearance as the keynote speaker at the February 2008 Urban Sustainability Forum in Philadelphia, organized by the  Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. Philadelphia, America's Next Great City, is well on its way to becoming a frontrunner in the new green economy. Under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Michael Nutter, who included many of the Next Great City coalition's key recommendations in his first budget address, Philadelphia is poised to implement many of Jones' recommendations as well, creating those linkages between the environment and the economy at every level. Mayor Nutter was on hand at the event to introduce Jones.

Listen in as we explore the inspiration for the program and learn important lessons for the implementation of similar green training programs in Pennsylvania. You can also watch the entire event (well worth your time!) by clicking here.

Support for green collar job creation will come in part from the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which authorizes $125 million per year to train individuals in the green trades. At the federal level, this is a small step towards the necessary economic support that green businesses require in order to survive. Citizen activism in bringing programs like Jones’ to the eyes and ears of state and local governments are the next steps in fostering the support for widespread green job growth. And this new green workforce will be implementing vital components of the solutions to global warming.

Today in Pennsylvania, the state's General Assembly is on the cusp of enacting legislation that itself will result in an explosion of good-paying, family-sustaining green jobs. Legislation like House Bill 2200 will require statewide programs to save energy, using new strategies like more efficient lighting or heating/cooling systems. The bill would also mean that every Pennsylvanian can save up to 20 percent a year on electric bills thanks to energy savings. Another bill, Special Energy Session House Bill 1, will jump start major investments in new, clean energy projects throughout Pennsylvania such as wind and solar energy developments and green buildings. Again, this legislation will result in thousands of new jobs. Coupled with job training and comprehensive outreach programs, Pennsylvania could soon lead the nation in green jobs, green technologies, and a growing economy.

Take action! There are a few simple steps you can take to make these visions reality in Pennsylvania. Watch the Van Jones presentation. Contact your state senator to support Pennsylvania legislation to grow green collar jobs and the new green economy through energy conservation and new clean energy development. And if you are a Philadelphian, contact city council to support the types of programs Van Jones is promoting nationwide. Make a contribution to PennFuture to help us continue our work. As always, we welcome your feedback. Leave a comment below to let others know about why the green jobs movement matters to you, or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

January weather in Philadelphia didn’t stop more than 400 people from attending the Urban Sustainability Forum on bike sharing. This event focused on the array of benefits from established bike sharing systems in Europe and the United States. It received quite a lot of good press, including a great blog post from a PennFuture member and a couple of articles where you can learn more.

Public use bicycle programs are changing urban transportation in cities worldwide. In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp first interviews Gilles Vesco, the Vice-president Communaute Urbaine de Lyon who oversees for the highly successful Velo'V system implemented in Lyon and duplicated in Paris.

Nate Kvamme, Director of Humana's Innovation Center, also discusses his initiatives in Louisville, KY to develop the FreeWheelin' bike sharing program for Humana healthcare.
 
Bike sharing programs offer many benefits including healthier citizens, livelier streets, and less noise and pollution. Luckily for Pennsylvanians, we have an extensive network of trails and a variety of biking organizations statewide. Explore some of the organizations listed below, or comment on our blog if you have your own story to share.

Bike Pennsylvania
Bike Pittsburgh
Dasani Blue Bike Program
Great Allegheny Passage
Streets Philadelphia Bike Map

In mid-November 2007, the Urban Sustainability Forum hosted a special program with presentations from five finalist teams from the "Urban Voids: Grounds for Change" competition. Urban Voids is part of a three-phased program called Philadelphia LANDVisions. Initiated by the City Parks Association, this program seeks to develop a long-term vision for developing vacant lands throughout the City of Philadelphia.

PennFuture’s Christine Knapp interviewed three of the finalist teams from the competition on the night the awards were handed out.

We first hear from the finalist team Timescapes, about how the Urban Voids program got started and why. According to finalist team Urban Arboretum, the common issues addressed in this design competition were mostly environmental in nature, while in some cases economics played a role. But the two go hand in hand: every environmental victory grows the economy. To that end, the Urban Arboretum proposal looked at methods of transforming the land not only for their direct environmental benefits, but also as a means for production. Taking a more global perspective, the Timescapes proposal sought to develop connectivity between the existing vacant spaces. The result of building several continuous passages on these vacant lands would prompt the emergence of a 24-hour living city.

The Grand Winner of the Urban Voids competition, which attracted 220 proposals from 25 countries, was the proposal from a local Philadelphia team called Waterwork. Their concept involves reclaiming Philadelphia’s vacant land for use as a stormwater filter. Philadelphia's serious problems with both stormwater management and vacant land are turned into creative and achievable opportunities, by adapting watersheds to the current urban topography.

Hear from team members Julliet Geldi, Chariss MacAfee, Charles Loomis, and Gavinn Riggall as they explain how their system that would effectively capture the stormwater runoff from homes, and create a network of streams within the city’s vacant lands. Water would be incorporated with the development of parks and trails to create new community areas, and would result in the re-establishment of existing underground rivers and streams that had long ago been piped over or buried. While implementation of this plan has challenges, the team plans to start small and work towards the bigger picture, helping to make Philadelphia the Next Great City.

To learn more about PennFuture's work with the Next Great City project, visit our Web site. There you can also sign up to receive more information, or make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments. Simply send us an e-mail or click on "Comments" below.

Pennsylvania is unfortunately a leader in the production of heat-trapping gas emissions that are causing global warming. Ranked third in the United States and responsible for one percent of the world’s entire greenhouse gas emissions, the Keystone State is a major part of the problem. And its projected to worsen; greenhouse gas pollution will grow at a rate of 10 percent per decade in the years to come, unless we act now.

The first of the autumn's Urban Sustainability Forum events in Philadelphia focused on just that: impacts of global warming on the Philadelphia region, and ways that we can take action together to prevent the worst. The forum featured Brian Hill, President of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and Erica Spanger-Siegfried, Northeast Climate Project Manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp speaks with them both as they describe the facts about global warming and its expected impacts in southeastern Pennsylvania.

It's important to note that global warming is a problem that requires many solutions all at once, from dedicated people of all stripes: scientists, economists, environmentalists, medical professionals, students, elected officials, businesses, clergy, hunters, anglers, and concerned citizens of every variety. We all need to be working for change in Pennsylvania.

Taking action on key Pennsylvania policy initiatives is one critical way to help. Visit PennFuture's web site to learn more about the Energy Independence Strategy and our Cool Pennsylvania campaign. You will also find our most current action alerts where we urge you to speak out now! You can also make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here; your support enables us to continue our successful work for healthy communities, a healthy economy, and a healthy environment today and tomorrow. As always, we welcome your comments. Simply send us an e-mail at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

More than 50 businesses, organizations, educational institutions, agencies, and individuals were nominated for the first (and presumably not the last!) Philadelphia Sustainability Awards. PennFuture, together with a team of core partners, came together to honor those who are making Philadelphia a more livable, healthy, sustainable city-- what is truly the next great city.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp talks with Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Michael DiBerardinis, and a number of the nominees and winners of this year's awards. Secretary DiBerardinis was rooting for his home team, the Philadelphia Eagles, for their Go Green program.

Christine also spoke with folks from RecycleBank, Philly Car Share, Judy Wicks from White Dog Cafe, Re:Vision Architecture, all award winners that evening, as well as Whole Foods Market, another nominee.

To learn more about the work PennFuture is doing in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth to ensure that every environmental victory grows the economy, visit our Web site. As always, we welcome your support and your feedback. Comment below or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp speaks with presenters at the November 2006 Philadelphia Urban Sustainability Forum event on mass transit.

Christine interviews Scott Pendergrast, Manager of Real Estate at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). Atlanta's population continues to grow, and Pendergrast highlights what MARTA is doing to alleviate roadway congestion. He also shares ideas that Pennsylvania cities can implement to expand their transit systems.

Christine next speaks with Dick Voith, one of Governor Ed Rendell's appointees to the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission, and a board director of the organization PenTrans. Voith shares details of the commission's recent report to the Governor, providing recommendations on generating long-term funding for both highways and transit. Voith also provides suggestions on increasing ridership by targeting developments around areas near train stations and bus stops (transit-oriented development).

Christine ends by speaking with Sam Schwartz of Sam Schwartz PLLC, a multidisciplinary transportation engineering and planning firm based in New York City. Schwartz describes his experience in the field of transit development, and expresses optimism about the future expansion of Philadelphia's transit system. 

Visit the Next Great City site to learn more about the initiative to improve the quality of life, neighborhoods, and the environment in Philadelphia. For more information on PennFuture's work, visit our Web site or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org. 

 

Green building practices are quickly becoming more than just a trend, especially in Pennsylvania's biggest cities. We've covered what's been going on in Pittsburgh. In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp investigates the green building movement in the Philadelphia region, and its importance to the environment in which we live. These interviews were conducted at the opening event of the fall series of Philadelphia's Urban Sustainability Forums. 

Christine speaks with John An, AIA, LEED-AP, from Atelier Ten Environmental Designers. An and Atelier Ten have been involved in the current construction of Philadelphia's largest skyscraper, the Comcast Tower. His specialty is lighting, day lighting, and energy standards. An is also doing work on the Battery Park city project in New York City.

We then hear from Carlton Brown, co-founder of Full Spectrum NY. Carlton believes that people living on the low end of the economic spectrum suffer the most from the habitats that they live in. As a developer, Brown focuses on affordable green housing, emphasizing the universal right to live in a sustainable, affordable environment. Brown is working to see affordable green housing become the norm, and not the exception, in cities everywhere.

Christine wraps up with Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED, a world-renowned architect, and the senior principal and co-founder of FXFOWLE Architects in New York City. Fowle has been producing green, natural buildings since he began in the late 1960s and he continues his respect for the environment with the present construction of the New York Times headquarters building, which will be one of New York's largest green skyscrapers. Fowle focused his talk at the forum on the changes in the green building industry over the years, and the current U.S. position in the international green building movement.

To learn more about The Next Great City Initiative, e-mail us at podcast (AT) pennfuture (DOT) org.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp talks to presenters at the final 2006 Philadelphia Urban Sustainability Forum. Christine speaks to Fred Conner, a graduate student in Temple University's Community Planning program, and Warren Karlenzig of SustainLane.

Fred Conner has been following the Urban Sustainability Forums and with the help of his classmates, compiled a report summarizing all of them. Fred describes their findings, highlighting Clean and Green by 2016 the ten-year plan they created to highlight opportunities for Philadelphia to become an even more sustainable city.

Warren Karlenzig describes why Philadelphia was chosen as the fourth most sustainable city in America in the SustainLane's 2006 City Rankings. He also mentions areas where Philadelphia needs to improve in the future.

To learn more about The Next Great City Initiative, e-mail us at podcastATpennfuture.org.

PennFuture's Christine Knapp interviews speakers at the Urban Sustainability Forum's sixth event: "Redeveloping Healthy Neighborhoods." Christine speaks with Scott Paige, architect and urban planner at Interface Studio LLC about their plan for Transit Oriented Development in the Philadelphia area, specifically the Temple University Station. The idea will cultivate the hub of transit and connect the station to areas of developmental need.

In a conversation with Eva Gladstein, we hear about the progress that Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI) is making in cleaning up Philadelphia's neighborhoods. NTI was created in 2001 with a mission to revitalize Philadelphia's communities.

Christine then speaks with Sandy Wiggins, Principal of Consilience LLC and Vice Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, about Philadelphia's status in the effort to create a greener environment. Sandy briefly mentions the idea of LEED Certified Neighborhoods.

Lastly, Christine talks with Samuel Assefa, Deputy Chief of Staff to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Chicago has become a model for sustainability in the United States. The Deputy Chief speaks about what Chicago has been doing to achieve success and what others cities, like Philadelphia, can do.

The Urban Sustainability Forum is a public forum focusing on important issues facing Philadelphia, with the goal of making Philadelphia the greenest, most livable city in America. To learn more about this or the Next Great City initiative, e-mail us at podcast@pennfuture.org.

Philadelphians have been coming together to explore strategies for making the city sustainable in a series of Urban Sustainability Forums. "Greene Country Towne: The Future of Philadelphia Land Use Planning" featured Keynote Speaker Joanne Denworth, a land use and environmental lawyer, who has been working in Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's Office of Policy since March, 2003. She works with state agencies on policy issues relating to land use, including community and economic development, environmental protection, parks and conservation, transportation, water and sewer infrastructure, agriculture, historic preservation, and recreation. The focus of this forum was to talk about creating a new visionary land-use plan for Philadelphia that will integrate open space, neighborhood revitalization and economic development for our future. It included a discussion of sustainable land-use planning implemented in other U.S. cities as well as presentations of noteworthy local programs currently underway or being planned.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp chats with presenters Alma Plummer, the Vice President of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and Karen Black, Principal with May 8 Consulting, Inc. The forum also featured Tom Chapman, Acting Secretary, Strategic Planning and Executive Director, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp explores strategies for sustainable waste management at the fourth Urban Sustainability Forum, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Revisioning Waste Management in Philadelphia." The strategies discussed can be (and are being) employed all over, with success.

Christine speaks first with Maurice Sampson, Chair of Recycle Now Philadelphia and President of Niche Recycling and Waste Reduction Systems, a business providing professional services from policy development to implementation for solid waste management, recycling, and recycling market development. Though the national average for recycling participation rates is 24 percent, in Philadelphia, it is only five percent. Sampson believes the most important thing citizens can do to change that is to talk to elected officials and candidates at every opportunity about the type of program they desire.

Next she talks with Linda Knapp (no relation) Senior Program Manager at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, based in Washington, D.C. ILSR works to help community development organizations, small businesses and government agencies increase productive employment, recover increasing amounts of valuable recycled materials and products, save environmental resources, and lower operating costs. Linda talks about deconstruction, which is the systematic dis-assembly of abandoned buildings to recover materials like lumber, bricks, and other architectural salvage materials. Money generated from this recovery is used to support new local industry and job creation.

Christine then speaks with Ron Gonen, founder of RecycleBank. RecycleBank is incentive-based recycling, where participants are literally rewarded for recycling-- the more recycled, the more "RecycleBank Dollars" a participant receives, to spend at local businesses. The pilot project in several Philadelphia neighborhoods resulted in a participation rate of 90 percent, with the average household recycling 20-25 pounds per week of materials. The project is underway in many communities in southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Gonen advises that if people want this in their community, they need only recall that this is "government for the people, by the people." In other words: demand it!

Finally, Christine chats with Betsy Teutsch, one of the moderators of Philadelphia's "chapter" of Freecycle. Freecycle is an online network of people listing items (the sky's the limit) that they want to give to other people-- for free. The main rule is that if you want to get something or give something, it has to be for free. Betsy recounts some of the more creative things she's seen on the list and given herself. Freecycle lists exist for nearly 3500 communities. People find things they want and need, and keep lots of things out of the waste stream. It's a win-win!

We look forward to hearing from you! Please leave us a comment by clicking on "Comments" below this posting. Want more information? Contact us at podcast@pennfuture.org.

Listen as PennFuture's outreach coordinator Christine Knapp interviews speakers and attendees at the third Urban Sustainability Forum event: "Directing the Flow: Managing the City's Water" in Philadelphia. Christine talks to Glen Abrams, AICP, an Urban Watersheds Planner for the Philadelphia Water Department; Tom Cahill, Principal with Cahill Associates; Kumar Kishinchand, a former Water Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department; Jon Capacasa, Director of the Water Protection Division for the EPA Region 3; Carol Collier, Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission; and Paul Schwartz, Water Policy Coordinator for Clean Water Fund.

The Urban Sustainability Forum is a public forum focusing on important issues facing Philadelphia, with the goal of making Philadelphia the greenest, most livable city in America.

Listen as PennFuture's Eastern Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator Christine Knapp interviews speakers at the Urban Sustainability Forum's first event: "Life and Breath in the Big City: Philadelphia's Air in the 21st Century." Christine talks to Rob Diemer, the Chair of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, who conceived the idea for the Urban Sustainability Forum. Also hear from Joe Minott, Executive Director of Clean Air Council; Morris Fine, Director of the City's Air Management Services; and Brian Castelli with the Alliance to Save Energy about the status of Philadelphia's air, what the city can do to improve air quality for all residents, and what the broader objectives are for the Urban Sustainability Forums. Visit www.sustainablephiladelphia.com to learn more about the Urban Sustainability Forum- a public forum focusing on important issues facing Philadelphia with the goal of making Philadelphia the greenest, most livable city in America.