Healthy Communities Discussion Group at 3901 Market St.

A City That Works - May 20, 2008

It was a small group of five people.  As such, they really had time to dig into the issue.  Most important, they truly listened to each other and gave feedback.  During the final 20 minutes of the session, the ideas were really flowing.  -- Moderator Benjamin Cromie

What does this goal mean to you/why are you interested?

• Interested in safety.

• Wants to develop apartments for students – has a stake in the neighborhood.

• Wants the city to tackle litter in poorer neighborhoods.

• Wants the city to fight crime.

• Wonders how different stakeholders contribute.

• Wants to find out about community nursing and education needs.

Performance measures (What success would look like)

• Plant 1 million more trees.

• Encourage 10,000 solar panels in five years.

• Green 100 vacant lots in two years.

• Clean EVERY neighborhood.

• The city should develop (sell/put into use) ALL abandoned houses.

• Decrease number of abandoned houses by 25 percent.

• Clean ALL faded street signs.

• Provide more public trash and recycling receptacles.

• Give out more citations for illegal dumping.

• Double the number of farmers markets, co-ops and small community-focussed grocers in neighborhoods within four years. 

• “We should not hear of ANYONE dying in summer heat or freezing in the winter.”

• ALL intersections should have pedestrian crosswalks.

• Double the number of bike lanes within four years.

• Provide more public art.

Customer-service standards

• Philadelphia Corporation for Aging is a success story/case study for how to provide excellent customer service.

• City should take responsibility for maintaining (cutting/knocking down) trees and abandoned houses.

• City (or 311) should get back with an answer to any question in two days.

• The city should repave a street in a timely fashion or EXPLAIN why it takes so long.

• The Streets Department should fix potholes within two weeks.

• Working with neighborhood newspapers, the city should keep a local transportation update.

• I expect the city to consider using ex-offenders in green job programs (like creating modular housing).

• Wait time at city clinics should be short.  One should wait only 24 hours to get a non emergent appointment and three days for a chronic/regular meeting.

• I expect respect from fellow citizens for pedestrians; I expect the city to campaign for their safety.

• To save money, the city should use volunteers.

• City should publish on line who/how much greening is happening (perhaps through 311 service).

• For equity and to increase revenues, city should reassess property values.

• City should publicize location and number of abandon houses and houses, in neighborhoods as well as litter statistics.

• The city should reach out to developers/investors of student housing.

• Keep accessibility in mind; provide vouchers for equipment.