Healthy, Sustainable Communities - May 13

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

The group was comprised of 14 people (5 men and 9 women). The participants were all very excited to contribute their thoughts and opinions regarding the importance of healthy and sustainable communities. The concerns articulated reflected the lack of greener living options and spaces in Philadelphia.

-- Erika Evans

What does this goal mean to you?

• Increased greener spaces with more educational opportunities about the greener spaces.

• A change in the political will that clearly is invested in the community needs.

• Philadelphia More Beautiful initiative will work with neighbors and enhance curb appeal and assist neighbors experiencing challenges in maintaining their property appropriately.

• An increase in collaborative efforts between government agencies/city agencies and neighbor/civic groups.

• An increase in educational campaigns that educate the public about the impact of litter, an occurrence of more trash clean up days, an active ban on plastic bags, and an increase on trash cans made available throughout the city.

• Insurance that the Streets Department is more accountable, which will cause an increase in trash being collected appropriately and a decrease in residual trash being left in or around the streets post collection times.

• Recycling information would be readily available for groups and individuals.

• A welcoming package for new neighbors that would describe recycling/trash policies and also identify strategies to being a productive citizen.

• An identified and accessible site as well as curbside service for the pick up of hazardous materials.

• Proper oversight of construction and construction sites to ensure safe and healthy work is occurring around citizens.

• An increase in happy, functional, less truant, healthy and well fed adult children of prisoners.

Performance measures (What success would look like)

• Increased livability, which would include ways to get around the city without a car, more sidewalks, increased city wide opportunities for single stream recycling.

• Increased visibility of citizens enjoying their neighborhoods during the day and during the evenings with a feeling of safety and comfort as they WALK through the area.

• There would be more planting of trees along the streets.

• An increase in investment has been made with time and finances to build up the smaller Fairmount park parks as well as the larger ones to make it more inviting and aesthetically pleasing for neighbors to enjoy.

• Increased transportation alternatives including more car share options, more frequent transit services with safer and better lighting at the transit stops with maps always available.

• A resource system (i.e. 311, neighborhood groups) that acts, follows through and enforces the law to decrease noise pollution and noisy neighbors.

• L&I will appropriately and actively cite people who are not taking care of their properties which will result in an increase in well maintained homes, less trash and sidewalk maintenance will occur.

• There will be fewer accidents on the street.

• There will be a decrease even an extinction in pollutants in the water system.

• 100% of Philadelphia residents will have access to healthcare and food.

• Increased responsiveness and collaboration amongst all city services and city service agencies with citizens/civic groups.

• Significant decrease in crimes against persons.

• Appropriate polling of segmented groups to identify a baseline of perceptions regarding neighborhood safety now, two months later, six months later, etc.

• Increase tonage of recyclables and hazardous materials by 25 percent.

Customer-service standards

• 311 responsiveness within one hour to deal with report of noisy neighbor.

• Effective collaboration within city service agencies (i.e "If I can’t help you, I will help you get it to the person who can").

• Feedback will occur with the person who made the initial call about an incident within 24 hours.

• A welcoming package is created for neighborhoods.

• Responsiveness to citizen concerns.