Healthy, Sustainable Communities - May 13

A City That Works - May 13, 2008
Healthy, Sustainable Communities Discussion Group at the Lutheran Seminary

What does this goal mean to you?

• City is free of litter.

• Trash cans available. (Amsterdam as an example of a clean city.)

• No graffiti on billboards or mailboxes.

• Services to control pests.

• Energy efficiency programs, available to all regardless of income.

• People are committees to perform tasks to keep their neighborhood clean.

• People volunteer "can I help".

• People ask for more trash cans.

• City is walk able, safe, zero waste.

• Fewer autos.

• More people walking in the streets.

• More people recycling and composting (so little waste it can fit in a Ziploc bag).

• Thriving commercial districts: lighting, people go outsider (visit neighbors and friends), no trash or litter, safety issues are addressed.More public spaces.

• Citywide (versus pockets of neighborhoods), safe feeling (85 percent of the city, though reaching for 100 percent).

• Reuse resources to meet needs (instead of graffiti, let kids do art on boarded up places).

• Reduced violence.

• Clean air and water.

• Have health insurance for adults (46 million people without health insurance in US), when sole supporters are sick, impacts entire family.

• Safe and comfortable places to play.

• Lifestyles are healthy for everyone.  Less obesity, more healthy living.

• Different and better habits, ads promoting exercise, eating right new habits due to climate change, reduce dependency on oil.

• Greening of historic building, reusing materials (vs knocking down old buildings).

• Incorporate older buildings into newer structures (reuse outputs in daily living).

• Increased use of solar panels, low emissions, more windows in buildings.

• Health clinics well staffed, more services.

• People can travel in any area odd the city, walk and enjoy culture, architecture, sit and feel safe (not limited to specific pockets of the city).

• Successful recycling (city does, and residents participate).

• Blight disappears.

• Poverty, without money, impacts options, impact exercise, eating choices.

Performance measures (What success would look like)

• Goal: Philadelphia becomes the city in the United States with the highest rate of recycling
   Performance measure: 100 percent of households participate in recycling.

• Goal: Philadelphia is known as a the city in the United States with the most green historic buildings.
   Performance measure: Increase the use of LEEDs standards by 25 percent.

• Goal: Reduce the use of fossible fuels.
   Performance measure: Replace 25 percent of the city fleet with more efficient police cars.

• Goal: Use the green rehabilitation process.
   Performance measure: Reduce the number of abandoned houses by 10 percent per year.

• Goal: Make public transportation more desirable.
   Performance measure: Have 50 percent of city use public transportation by 2015.

Report by Franne McNeal