Philadelphia’s Greening Leaders Take Expertise to Cities Around U.S.
(August 2009) Philadelphia Green, the nation’s largest comprehensive community greening program, is being called on to share its experience in neighborhood revitalization with other cities around the country.
The program is the cornerstone or the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s efforts to energize the nation around the power of greening to bolster the economy and change the way people live. Municipal officials and non-profit representatives from Pittsburgh will visit PHS on Sept. 21 to 22 to learn how the Philadelphia Green program stabilized more than 7 million square feet of derelict land on vacant lots throughout the city.
Philadelphia Green leaders also traveled to Shreveport, La., on Aug. 19 to 20 to share their expertise at the Keep Louisiana Beautiful state conference.
“We look forward to sharing the lessons and best practices of Philadelphia Green with other cities,” said Blaine Bonham, executive vice president of PHS. “Urban greening is more important than ever. It has a dramatic impact on the environment, economy, and social fabric of communities.”
Since 1974, Philadelphia Green has worked with community groups and residents in neighborhoods throughout the city to plan and implement greening projects. The program has restored hundreds of neighborhood parks, created community gardens, developed lush streetscapes, tackled storm water remediation, and oversees acres of medians and gateway landscapes throughout the city. Its most impressive efforts, however, include organizing and engaging thousands of local citizens in the vast array of greening projects.
In early August, Philadelphia Green leaders were invited to facilitate a discussion at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va., on how to extend the reach and impact of the Botanical Garden beyond the walls of the facility by launching an effective greening program.
“We talked about roles the Garden could play, what resources are needed, and the specific projects they could undertake with community and government partners,” said Blaine Bonham, Executive Vice President of PHS.
Philadelphia Green leaders also recently went to Buffalo, N.Y., to discuss vacant land management and to Kansas City to share information on community greening programs.
On Aug. 10, the Cleveland affiliate of Keep America Beautiful sent representatives to PHS headquarters to learn about Philadelphia Green’s vacant land management program. A story ny Reuters, the international news wire, reported that Cleveland “wants to emulate the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green project, which has turned empty lots into green space.”
Philadelphia Green has partnered with John Kromer, senior director of the Fels Institute of Government and the author of “Fixing Broken Cities,” on many of these urban initiatives, said Maitreyi Roy, PHS vice president.
“We explain how we approach the work of greening, how to partner with other organizations, and how to develop stewardship of the land,” Roy said.
In December, Philadelphia Green leaders will attend the Keep America Beautiful national conference in Washington, D.C., to provide training in park revitalization and urban forestry. Philadelphia Green is serving as a consultant to Keep America Beautiful, the national organization that promotes litter prevention, waste reduction and beautification, and its more than 1,000 affiliates and participating groups. A PHS webinar for KAB affiliates will be offered in September on local food production and will highlight PHS’ City Harvest program, which trains prison inmates to raise vegetable seedlings that are grown in Philadelphia community gardens and ultimately provide thousands of pounds of fresh produce for families in under-served neighborhoods.
PHS started Philadelphia Green in 1974 as a small vegetable gardening program. Today, Philadelphia Green transforms thousands of acres of land and works with hundreds of community groups to plan and implement greening projects. PHS also produces the world’s largest flower show in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia International Flower Show raises funds to support Philadelphia Green. For more information, go to www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.
For more information Contact:
Alan Jaffe at 215-988-8833
Laura Hoover at 215-988-8836
