Darby Minow Smith profiles Katherine Gajewski, Director of Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability, and looks at the efforts she's leading to give vision to the next phase of the city's history.
With 300 years of compact development around the rational plan of William Penn, Philadelphia has great bones around which to build a sustainable city for the 21st century. And as the Director of the city's Office of Sustainability, it's Katherine Gajewski's responsibility to lead the effort to transform the way the city looks and works over the next 20 years, reports Smith. "Gajewski works to implement the ambitious city-wide Greenworks Philadelphia plan [PDF], directs a five-county energy-efficiency program, and even organizes a social group of city employees nicknamed the 'Young-ish City Government Workers.'"
"In 20 years, half of the city is going to be covered in green
infrastructure. That means everything from smart streets to parks and
open spaces to green roofs," says Gajewski. "We're only four years into our [sustainability] plan and already
people's perceptions of Philadelphia are changing. Our population is on
the rise. We have more people who are moving into the city."
Read the full story: Philadelphia’s Katherine Gajewski is turning a gritty city green
Op-ed: if transit agencies want sustainability, they should focus on their buildings
In the Washington region, buildings can account for nearly 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. If WMATA wants to be a sustainable agency, it must upgrade its developments as well as its transit.
Swapping your gas car for an EV is greener than keeping it, research shows
An EV repays the 'carbon debt' caused by building it after 4,400 miles.
Climate change could double household water costs in some cities, study finds
New research suggests that climate change-related stressors are straining municipal water systems.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future
Mall and office park redevelopments are a generational opportunity to create new nodes of urbanity.
NYC breaks ground on anti-flooding infrastructure project
New York City's new system will reduce stormwater flows to local sewers by 90%.
One Kentucky town’s secret to affordable housing
The Smoketown Community Land Trust has already built seven affordable homes for community members.
Houston gains petal-shaped cooling infrastructure to make streets more ‘delightful’
The city has installed the pavilions along 15 blocks in Houston.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority