Across the Bridge Is a Sea of Green

A frequently cited tidbit about our town is its proximity to Philadelphia. It's sometimes expressed with the cutesy "just a stone's throw away" which I suppose is true for those that can throw a stone 12 miles, but it sure does feel close. High points in the area—like Route 130 South at Branch Pike—offer skyline views that, on a clear day, are worth marveling over.

This geographical closeness to a major city is akin to the effects of a planet's gravity. We swarm to it: cheering for the Phillies, flocking cityward for the best in dining and entertainment, and as far as defining the "metropolitan area" goes—like it or not—we're all Philadelphians.

So for the environmentalists among us, and with that big city vibe firmly in mind, we ought to be aware of some of the progressive trends at work in the City of Brotherly Love. Just across the Delaware River, they're busy establishing a national reputation in forward-thinking approaches to issues of sustainability.

A good place to start is in the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, which serves as the city's green mission control center. Katherine Gajewski leads a team that interacts with the business community and residents alike, introducing energy-saving initiatives, local food programs, tree planting events, and solar education. This new-to-Philadelphia division didn't happen by accident—it's the embodiment of Mayor Michael Nutter's 2008 pledge to make Philadelphia the number one green city in America.

How has he fared? In the face of economic troubles and recurrent crime waves, even an objective observer would give him high marks on his flagship environmental project, Greenworks Philadelphia.

The pledge was backed by goals spread over a seven-year timeline. They included diverting 70 percent of the city's waste from the landfill, reducing the city government's energy consumption 30 percent, and cutting total vehicle miles by 10 percent, amidst a dozen other quantifiable goals. Three years in, every target is a measurable work in progress.

One area in which Philadelphia has thrived is in stormwater management. The paving over of an entire city leads to water runoff nightmares that pollute rivers, flood roads and buildings, and overwhelm sewer systems. Whereas Philadelphia's water management system was world-renowned 130 years ago, it's today aiming for that standing, but in a decidedly low-tech way: permeable sidewalks, rain gardens and a proliferation of green roofs.

Solar too is an arena in which Philadelphia shines. Through an affiliation with government sponsored Solar City Partnership, installations big and small are peppering the map. A noteworthy one—one Megawatt in production capacity—is soon to come at IKEA's South Philadelphia location.

Philadelphia's green credentials aren't limited to the public sector. Pioneering PhillyCarShare, now part of Enterprise Holdings, boasts 250 rental vehicles, each displacing 15 owned vehicles and their associated pollution and congestion. Now they're rolling out electric vehicles.

Staying up on the bustling activity in this city's green scene is Grid Magazine, a free monthly publication in both print and online. Other web resources keeping tabs on the happenings include Green Philly Blog, GreenLimbs, and Philly.com's Green Space.

While Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Austin would all vie for the title, Philadelphia is resurrecting its image as nation-leader. Will the zest for sustainability rub off on suburban towns? We're part of Philadelphia's gravitational pull—it's inevitable we'll be moving in their direction.