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Green2015: An Action Plan for the First 500 Acres
We know now more than ever the importance of park space to the health of our communities. Everyone deserves access to public parks and open space. This is why a clear goal of Mayor Nutter's sustainability plan Greenworks Philadelphia is to add 500 acres of new publicly accessible green space to the city by 2015.
The Green2015 initiative of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and PennPraxis outlines the strategy for how to meet this 500-acre goal for Philadelphia.
The plan builds upon previous plans and research in order to identify potential short‐term additions to the park system as well as a long‐term vision and framework for the park system. This work is also being conducted in parallel with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission's comprehensive planning process and will support the goals of the comprehensive plan. The action plan will also complement the Green City Clean Waters initiative of the Philadelphia Water Department which seeks to create green infrastructure that serves multiple uses. The action plan will support Mayor Nutter’s goal of Philadelphia becoming the “greenest city in America.”
It identifies projects that will provide Philadelphia with new parkland that provides sound environmental, social and economic benefits to the city.
The goal of Green2015 is to unite city government and neighborhood residents to transform empty or underused land in Philadelphia into parks for neighbors to enjoy. Most of the land that can be greened is already publicly owned and therefore requires no money to acquire. The planning, implementation, and maintenance of these parks will be a collaborative effort among many partners, including neighbors, businesses, nonprofits, developers, and the city.
Abundance from Spring Garden Pictures on Vimeo.
Final Report
The final report, Green2015: An Action Plan for the First 500 Acres, is now available. Click here to read the Executive Summary (PDF) or the full document (PDF).
Community Meetings
- Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 pm – Sheet Metal Workers Union, 1301 S. Columbus Blvd., 19147 [RSVP]
- Wednesday, May 26, 6:30 pm – Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha,2319 N. 7th St., 19140 [RSVP]
- Monday, June 14, 6:30 pm – Germantown Friends School, 31 W. Coulter St., 19144 [RSVP]
- Wednesday, June 16, 6:30 pm – Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd., 19143 [RSVP]
- Monday, June 21, 6:30 pm – Perzel Community Center, 2990 Saint Vincent St., 19149 [RSVP]
- Tuesday, June 22, 6:30pm – Phila. Free Library, 1901 Vine Street, 19103 [RSVP]
Citizen Feedback
Check out the links below to read the notes from all six civic engagement sessions:
- May 25 – South Philadelphia
- May 26 – North Philadelphia
- June 14 -- Northwest Philadelphia
- June 16 -- West Philadelphia
- June 21 -- Northeast Philadelphia
- June 22 -- Center City Philadelphia
Green2015 is a project led by the Department of Parks and Recreation in coordination with Greenworks Philadelphia and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission's comprehensive planning process. The project is supported with grants from the William Penn Foundation and Lenfest Foundation to engage PennPraxis, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Penn Project for Civic Engagement.
Press Coverage
- University City Review, Mark Brakeman: City releases plan to grow city's green space (December 15, 2010)
- City Parks Blog, Ryan Donahue: 500 Acres: Philadelphia's Parks Plan(December 14, 2010)
- The Architect's Newspaper, Tom Stoelker: Rolling Out the Green in Philly (December 13, 2010)
- WHYY's Radio Times, Marty Moss-Coane: Philadelphia Green 2015, w/Parks commissioner Michael DiBerardinis (December 9, 2010)
- Phillyist, Amy Freeman: Parking (December 9, 2010)
- Greenlimbs: Green2015 at ANS (December 9, 2010)
- PlanPhilly, JoAnn Greco: A new plan for the first 500 acres of public green space (December 8, 2010)
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Editorial: A bit of green is golden (December 8, 2010)
- uwishunu: Mayor Nutter Launches "Green2015," An Ambitious New Action Planto Transform 500 Acres of Underused Land Into Public Green Space (December 8, 2010)
- Daily Pennsylvanian, MK Kleva: Green2015: a plan for Philadelphia (December 8, 2010)
- Brownstoner Philadelphia: 500 Acres, Hold the Mule (December 8, 2010)
- Philadelphia Daily News, Editorial: New Park City (December 7, 2010)
- ABC Local: Green 2015 plan blossoms in Philadelphia (December 7, 2010)
- NBC Philadelphia: Mayor Nutter Promises a "Greener Philly" (December 7, 2010)
- Flying Kite, John Steele: Penn Praxis takes its Green 2015 plan to the people (December 7, 2010)
- Greenlimbs: Green2015 Plan Report Released (December 7, 2010)
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Inga Saffron: City plans proliferation of small parks (December 6, 2010)
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Michael DiBerardinis and Harris Steinberg Op-Ed: Every neighborhood needs a park (December 6, 2010)
- KYW Newsradio, Mike Dunn: Philadelphia Moves to Expand City's Green Spaces (December 6, 2010)
- Brownstoner Philadelphia: City Aims for Ambitious Pocket-Park Plan (December 6, 2010)
- Philadelphia Metro, Solomon Leach: Getting 500 acres greener (December 6, 2010)
- WHYY, Elizabeth Fiedler: Green space would blossom in Philadelphia (December 6, 2010)
- PlanPhilly, JoAnn Greco: Final land ordinance and a Green2015 run through (November 18, 2010)
- Phillyist, Amy Freeman: Parking (June 9, 2010)
- PlanPhilly, JoAnn Greco: Going green, one acre at a time (May 26, 2010)
- Philadelphia Daily News, Editorial: Parks meetings (May 25, 2010)
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