Grid Magazine

Grid: Toward a Sustainable Philadelphia

07/08/2024

🎨 For three days last summer, smoke drifted down from forest fires in the Canadian taiga, some of it shrouding 1800 North American Street, where volunteers were working on a climate justice mural. Mirroring the dramatic depiction of oil spills, deforestation and smog being painted on the 300-foot long wall, the very real smoky orange haze and scorching temperatures caused the group to pause work for the health and safety of volunteers.

The expansive, colorful depiction of our destructive past, present and hopeful future is the culmination of the years-long Climate Justice Initiative (CJI), spearheaded by Mural Arts Philadelphia.

“Our focus is to create works of art that are accessible to the public but contribute to social impact in a positive way,” says Chad Eric Smith, senior director of communications and brand management at Mural Arts. “That’s why we view art as powerful and transformative, but the challenge is to transcend the art and be able to galvanize individuals into collective action for climate justice.”

➡️ Learn more about the mural’s mission to raise awareness about climate change while envisioning a better future at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/07/01/expansive-mural-depicts-environmental-destruction-and-the-hope-of-climate-justice-through-the-lens-of-indigenous-culture/

✍️ Siani Colón
📸 Courtesy of Steve Weinik/Mural Arts Philadelphia

07/05/2024

Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend!

FRIDAY, 7.5
Phantastic Phibers Opening Reception: Cherry Street Pier Resident Bonnie MacAllister (Studio 16) juried an open call to find fellow Philly artists working in non-traditional fibers. Phantastic Phibers creates an atmosphere of industrial, fiber optic, hyperbolic, puppetry, soft sculpture, no waste weaving, and non traditional textiles. The exhibition transports the pier into a nautilus full of suspended materials including recycled electronics and bicycle parts, a nine foot tunnel, a series of birds, a cursed sweater, a quilt poem, enormous weavings, a tower of electrical cord baskets, giant fish, deconstructed silks, and sea monsters. Two and three dimensional work will fill the gallery space and second floor.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/phantastic-phibers-opening-reception/

SATURDAY, 7.6
Devil’s Pool Clean-Up: Would you like to be part of keeping Wissahickon Valley Park beautiful and sustainable? Then join us for a morning clean-up at Devil’s Pool! No experience is needed. We provide gloves, tools and instruction – you just need to show up!

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/devils-pool-clean-up-2/

SUNDAY, 7.7
Philly Mycology Club Cobbs Creek Park Cleanup — July Edition: Join the Philadelphia Mycology Club for some community oriented land stewardship in Cobbs Creek Park! We will provide everything you need and some light refreshments. Dress appropriately and bring some water to stay hydrated.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/philly-mycology-club-cobbs-creek-park-cleanup-july-edition/

07/02/2024

⚠️ From 1939 through the end of the 20th century, Philadelphia’s average air temperature in July was 77.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Since then, the new mean has reached 80.7 degrees.

If that doesn’t make you sweat, try these statistics from the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability’s (OOS) Climate Action Playbook: In the 20th Century, Philadelphia averaged four days a year when the temperature exceeded 95 degrees. By 2100, it could reach 52.

Abby Sullivan, chief resilience officer for OOS, knows the danger well. She says that each spring, agencies across City government — from the Office of Emergency Management, to the Department of Public Health, to OOS — gather to prepare for the summer as members of the Excessive Heat Steering Committee. “[Heat waves] are going to happen,” she says. “So how can we best prepare to respond?”

➡️ Learn more about the local communities that are most vulnerable to the perils of a warming climate and the solutions that could help reduce the risk of rising temperatures at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/07/01/for-our-city-to-beat-the-heat-its-going-to-take-a-whole-lot-of-green/

✍️ Kyle Bagenstose
📸 Chris Baker Evens Photography

07/01/2024

Buckle up — the summer heat is intensifying at an alarming rate. Now more than ever, it’s time to talk solutions. That’s where our brand new Global Warming Issue comes in 🌡️

In this issue we explore what the heat means for us and what we can do to adapt to it. Can we cool our hot urban island with more trees and reflective roofs? Can we help our neighbors lower the temperatures in their homes? What about keeping outdoor workers safe? Can we change the food we grow and how we grow it?

Of course we can’t forget what we can do to slow the warming itself, whether that’s helping our neighbors get around without cars or coming up with innovative ways to pay for lower-emissions infrastructure. We hope you finish reading this issue with some new ideas for how you can adapt — and for the drastic changes we as a society urgently need to make. It’s hot, but there’s no time to take it easy.

➡️ Visit https://gridphilly.com to read the full Global Warming Issue now

📸 Cover photo by Chris Baker Evens Photography

06/28/2024

Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend!

FRIDAY, 6.28
Insect Walk: Join engagement manager and naturalist Sam Nestory on a walk through the garden to search for the fascinating insects that call Stoneleigh home. Learn about insect diets and lifecycles, how important insects are to our ecosystems, and how you can support them in your own garden.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/insect-walk-2/

SATURDAY, 6.29
Philly Book Festival: Welcome to the PHILLY INDIE BOOK FESTIVAL! Join us in Philadelphia for a celebration of all things literary. Dive into a world of books, authors, and readers coming together to share their love for storytelling. From book signings to panel discussions, this event is a bookworm’s paradise. Immerse yourself in the vibrant literary scene of Philly and connect with fellow book enthusiasts. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to discover new reads and engage with the literary community. See you at the PHILLY INDIE BOOK FESTIVAL!

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/philly-book-festival/

SUNDAY, 6.30
Plant Swap: Come trade your plants, cutting supplies and more! Double check plants for any pest before sharing them. Plant accessories and supplies are welcome. Make sure any substrates, fertilizers, ect are in original package or clearly labeled. Please label all plants and cuttings with name and basic care instructions.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/plant-swap-2/

06/21/2024

Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend!

FRIDAY, 6.21
Juneteenth Storytime: Come out and listen to stories about Juneteenth, make a craft, and do a sing-a-long.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/juneteenth-storytime/

SATURDAY, 6.22
Volunteer Days at FarmerJawn: Join FarmerJawn in making a difference! Whether you can spare just one day each month or are able to commit to more frequent volunteering as a dedicated volunteer, we welcome your support. Our mission is to provide fresh, local produce while fostering connections with like-minded individuals who share a passion for sustainable farming. Come be a part of our team and help us cultivate a brighter, healthier future for our community and our planet.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/volunteer-days-at-farmerjawn/2024-06-22/

SUNDAY, 6.23
Pick Your Own Blueberries: Pick Your Own Blueberries season at Linvilla Orchards is here! This delicious berry is ripe and ready to be picked from our fields, and we all know nothing is better than a freshly harvested blueberry from Linvilla Orchards.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/pick-your-own-blueberries/2024-06-23/

06/20/2024

🍅 Launched in 2021, Aaji’s is first and foremost, a family affair. Co-founders Rajus and Poorva Korde created the brand based on Rajus’s grandmother’s tomato lonsa recipe — a tomato-based dish that incorporates coastal Indian spices like asafoetida and turmeric. Aaji’s currently offers an original tomato lonsa, as well as garlic, spicy and spicy garlic flavors.

From the get-go, Aaji’s has been a community-forward project. The Korde family chose tomato lonsa after gathering close to 700 surveys from neighbors on what dishes they’d be interested in trying. Tomato lonsa came in the top 10. Then, it was on to Philly farmers markets. “We took 60 units of lonsa with us to the Fairmount Farmers Market, really unsure of what to expect, and within two hours we’d sold out of everything we brought,” Poorva says.

➡️ Learn more about Aaji’s involvement in and impact on the local community at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/sponsored-content-aajis-finds-a-growing-market-for-lonsa-and-gives-back/

📸 Mike Prince

06/19/2024

Happy Juneteenth! Today we honor justice, freedom, and the continued effort to fight for an equal future. Looking for ways to participate in celebrating the significance of the holiday? Check out these local events happening in and around Philadelphia!

06/18/2024

🏠 Environmental risks come from inside and outside the home, often from toxic building materials, localized industrial pollution or even a nearby highway. Across the country and in Philadelphia, low-income, largely Black and Brown communities experience the most severe impacts. Here are some of the environmental issues residents of our most affected neighborhoods are facing.

➡️ Learn more about the environmental risks affecting low-income neighborhoods at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/home-work/

✍️ + 📸 Bryan Satalino

06/17/2024

🧸 Nic Esposito wants to reimagine the retail industry; he believes that people, profits and the planet would benefit from leaving business as usual behind. That’s where Circa Systems comes in.

Esposito founded the Philadelphia-based company in 2023 to create a more sustainable, local retail model, allowing paying members to purchase and swap mostly used products via online stores.

“Instead of making 10,000 things and hoping that you sell 10,000 of them, what if you were able to take 1,000 items and sell them 10,000 times?” says Esposito, Circa’s chief executive officer.

“You’re reducing emissions, you’re reducing extraction, you’re reducing waste and then you’re increasing profits,” he adds. “I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”

In May, Circa launched a six-month pilot for its first platform, Unless Kids. A cohort of 50 users are currently buying and trading discounted toys through unlesskids.com, providing feedback before the platform opens to a larger audience.

The pilot uses a model rooted in the circular economy, in which products stay in circulation as long as possible through reuse or repair. In the purest form of a circular economy, when items are no longer usable, they are broken down into their component parts to be remade into new items. Greater efficiency and conservation of resources allows for lower product pricing; it’s the model future Circa platforms will also use.

➡️ Learn more about Circa Systems and its efforts to create less waste in the toy industry via Unless Kids at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/start-up-launches-pilot-program-to-form-an-online-circular-toy-economy/

✍️ Jenny Roberts
📸 Jared Gruenwald

06/14/2024

Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend!

FRIDAY, 6.14
Natural Lands Restoration Workshop for Teens: Gather at Wissahickon Environmental Center for a walk & talk about the necessity of forest restoration and the importance of natural lands stewardship. Then we will provide the work gloves, tools, and training for a restoration project nearby. Wear sturdy shoes that tie and clothes that can get dirty. Lead by Susannah Beckett, a WEC educator with many years experience in forest restoration.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/natural-lands-restoration-workshop-for-teens/

SATURDAY, 6.15
All Abilities RAMble: Join the warm and wonderful staff and trained goats at The Philly Goat Project for a morning of outdoor fun and wellness. This event is open to anyone with special needs and their friends and family. These special events are focused on helping famiies connect to one another, increase resources, get healthy in nature together and develop friendships. Registration required.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/all-abilities-ramble/

SUNDAY, 6.16
Kayak on the Schuylkill this summer: FREE BOATING ADVENTURES ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER with LandHealth Institute. We’re thrilled to be offering a whole boat load of opportunities to get on the river this summer from a variety of launching points. Whether you’ve never kayaked before or you’re a seasoned paddler, come on out and help us break in our brand new fleet of kayaks! This city was built to hug the rivers but most of us never get a chance to get on.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/kayak-on-the-schuylkill-this-summer/2024-06-16/2/

06/13/2024

📝 Editor’s Notes: Doubting Nature 📝

Grid was already pretty invested in the promise of green stormwater management that “Green City, Clean Waters” articulated. The idea that we can deal with water pollution while beautifying the city, creating more green space, planting more native plants in swales and rain gardens … well, it was incredibly appealing. And that it would cost less than the old-fashioned industrial way made it a true no-brainer.

We remained unquestioning until January 2022, when our long-time contributor and now managing editor Bernard Brown interviewed PWD officials and engineers on the 10th anniversary of Green City, Clean Waters. He returned to the office with the sense that PWD officials were dodging his questions about the real-world effects of the new systems on waterways, as well as their expected performance as global warming brings more frequent and more intense precipitation.

If we had pursued our journalistic instincts, we might have discovered the dissenting voices at the EPA and the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. We might have found out that our wastewater treatment facilities were operating on long-expired federal permits. We might have turned up sources within our water department questioning the efficacy of the program.

➡️ Read the full note from our editor-in-chief at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/editors-notes-doubting-nature/

✍️ Alex Mulcahy

06/12/2024

"It was with great excitement that I attended this year’s 5th Annual Black Birder’s Week gala, hosted at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University on Saturday, June 1. And once again, it offered a refreshing immersion into the uplifting vibes of the Black birding community. The gala included a 'sneaker ball,' in which scores of attendees showed off their freshest kicks. Elsewhere, libations flowed, a buffet beckoned and whole-hearted embraces abounded."

➡️ Read more about this year's Black Birder's Week gala at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/06/at-philly-gala-for-5th-annual-black-birders-week-flashes-of-progress/

✍️ Kyle Bagenstose
📸 Courtesy of The Academy of Natural Sciences

06/11/2024

💬 INTERVIEW: Why is it that low-income and communities of color bear the brunt of industrial pollution? And when environmentally hazardous facilities move into their neighborhoods, why don’t people leave?

This month, we sat down with Dorceta Taylor, professor of environmental justice at the Yale School of the Environment and author of “Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility,” to unearth the answers to these questions and more. Here are some of the topics she covers:

— How do people of color — in particular, Black Americans — end up living in communities such as Louisiana’s Cancer Alley and the polychlorinated biphenyl landfill in Warren County, North Carolina in the first place?

— Why is it that industries seek out these particular communities?

— A very common justification used by politicians is that it’s necessary for these communities to bear the burden of a landfill or an oil refinery for the “greater good of the nation.” What are the main flaws in this point of view?

➡️ Read the full interview with Dorceta Taylor at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/grid-talks-with-professor-and-author-dorceta-taylor-about-how-communities-of-color-became-ground-zero-for-toxic-industries/

✍️ Amber X. Chen
📸 Ian Christmann

06/10/2024

⚠️ When a typical Philadelphian walks out the door, they’re still subject to inhaling harmful pollutants generated from as nearby as the factory next door, to as far away as wildfires on the other side of the continent. Given Philadelphia’s geographic location and big city status, its residents face more air pollution than many Americans: more than one in five children in the city has asthma, compared to only about one in 20 nationwide.

The solutions to the problem change depending on the pollutant. Philadelphia residents and local officials can do painfully little to curtail wildfires and coal-burning power plants thousands of miles upwind, which contribute to particulate matter pollution.

But among local sources, there’s an obvious place to focus, experts say: “The single most important thing that every citizen can do to help alleviate air quality problems in our region is to get out of your car, to stop driving.”

➡️ Learn more about the dangers in our air and what we can do to combat them at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/smog-vocs-and-particulate-matter-are-poisoning-philadelphians-lungs-experts-say-investment-in-public-transit-is-key/

✍️ Kyle Bagenstose
📸 Chris Baker Evens Photography

06/07/2024

Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend!

FRIDAY, 6.7
Afro-Garden Party @ d’griot: We will be hosting a Garden Party every First Friday at d’griot gallery (soon to be holistic cafe!) Holistic Vendors + Food + Teas n’ Juices + Afrobeat + Homegrown Abundance share table from local/backyard gardens.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/afro-garden-party-dgriot/

SATURDAY, 6.8
Community Garden Walking Tour: Join Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT), Feet First Philly (FFP), Clean Air Council and AARP as we visit 5 community gardens in the Point Breeze section of South Philadelphia which are preserved or soon-to-be-preserved by NGT. During the walk, participants will get a chance to learn from garden leaders and explore diverse community garden spaces in the neighborhood. FFP representatives will discuss walkability along the route, and the role that green spaces like community gardens play in the pedestrian environment.

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/community-garden-walking-tour-2/

SUNDAY, 6.9
Pistil & Stamen - A Vox Populi Pollinator Party: Join us at Pistil & Stamen: A Vox Populi Pollinator Party! But what exactly is a “pollinator party,” you ask? We like to think of it as a celebratory gathering of Vox’s wider community aimed at raising critical funds to help us spread our mission. Picture a fundraiser-meets-garden party infused with Vox’s unique flair!

➡️ Learn More: https://gridphilly.com/event/pistil-stamen-a-vox-populi-pollinator-party/

06/06/2024

🏘️ Last fall, after Philadelphia announced the release of a request for proposal to develop one of the most notoriously blighted areas of the city, the Logan Triangle, a bevy of reporters called up Charlene Samuels, chairperson for the Logan Civic Association, to get community perspective.

With more than a hint of exasperation in her voice, she told them all a version of the same thing: “Just sit and wait and see.”

And also: “Hope and pray.”

That’s what it’s come down to in Logan, where the wrongs of a century past and decades of unkept promises have left residents skeptical anything good will come of the 40ish-acre eyesore, which drags down the name of a neighborhood many are otherwise proud to live in.

➡️ Learn more about the history of Logan Triangle and what lies ahead for its future at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/logan-triangles-past-leaves-neighbors-skeptical-of-new-development-push/

✍️ Kyle Bagenstose
📸 Chris Baker Evens Photography

06/05/2024

🚣 Last summer, on a small beach along the Cooper River, seventeen-year-olds Star Beauchamps and Mickey Carter-Lopes waited to pull canoes into shore. This was their typical summer weekday: paddling, teaching and comparing the polka dot tan lines on their feet thanks to Crocs and hours spent working in the sun.

The friends were two of last season’s eight “RiverGuides,” high school students working to connect Camden residents back to the water that surrounds them. The program is run by UrbanTrekkers, whose founders organize youth nature expeditions outside the city. It wasn’t until 2015 that they realized they didn’t have to go so far.

➡️ Learn more about the transformation of Camden’s waterways and how it has inspired children and teens to connect with nature at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/cleanup-efforts-restored-camdens-waterways-these-teens-are-bringing-people-back-to-them/

✍️+ 📸 Kristen Harrison

06/04/2024

🏠 Antonette Russell’s house, like many others in Grays Ferry and neighborhoods across the city, has been in her family for decades. Her grandmother, community leader Irene Russell, was the first in the family to own the century-old, two-story brick row house on South Napa Street.

Before she died in 2021, her grandmother had started some much-needed repairs on her house, but many remained undone. The appliances in the kitchen were falling into disrepair and the bathroom was beginning to crumble. Russell believed it would take years before she could afford to finish the job.

Everything changed when she got a call from Philly Thrive; her home would be the first served by the environmental justice organization’s free home repairs program.

➡️ Learn more about Philly Thrive and its mission to provide free repairs, electrification and solarization to homeowners who cannot afford them at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/free-repair-program-makes-homes-more-livable-and-sustainable-staves-off-gentrification-and-makes-neighborhoods-safer/

✍️+ 📸 Kristen Harrison

06/01/2024

Our *brand new* Environmental Justice Issue is officially here!

In this issue we take a closer look at how environmental problems disproportionately affect communities of color, and particularly low-income communities of color. More than those of whiter and more affluent communities, their residents breathe air poisoned by industrial facilities like refineries or by the tailpipes of unending lines of cars and trucks. Often homes are not even a refuge, presenting hazards from flaking lead paint and exhaust from cooking gas. And sometimes the very ground sinks beneath their feet, undermining foundations and severing gas lines.

Our region is also rich with solutions that can help repair the inequities. Some require the reform of government and regulation of industry, but we all can take steps to clean our air by getting around by any means other than a personal gas guzzler. We can improve indoor environments through home repair programs and we can spark joy in youth by connecting them to our restored rivers and green spaces.

➡️ Visit https://gridphilly.com/ to read the full Environmental Justice Issue now!

05/31/2024

Over here at Grid, we’ve been hard at work prepping our brand new issue (out tomorrow!). Despite our typical monthly issue cycle, we couldn’t help but share one particular story a little early. So without further ado, here’s a sneak peak of our June issue and its cover story featuring a topic heavily impacting Philadelphia today: Green City, Clean Waters.

💧 Ever since the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) created a plan to fix its archaic sewer systems in 2011, proponents have held up the resulting program — Green City, Clean Waters — as a crown jewel of the department.

But more than a decade later, signs are emerging that the nationally-recognized plan might be serving as a drain on the utility’s coffers — by the billions.

The program was originally pitched as an innovative, cost-effective way to deal with the billions of gallons of raw sewage that overflow annually from the city’s vast expanse of aging sewer lines and spill into rivers and creeks. While an originally estimated $2.4 billion price tag for the 25-year program is no small amount, proponents who argued for its creation said that sum would provide a major discount compared to typical alternatives…But the costs of the green program have quietly ballooned to at least $4.5 billion at its halfway mark, according to both publicly-available financial documents and PWD employees, placing it at least $2 billion over original cost estimates. Costs are primarily borne by Philadelphians, who pay via a designated “stormwater charge” on their monthly water bills.

➡️ Learn more about the current status of Green City, Clear Waters and what its results mean for the future of Philadelphia at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/05/30/since-2012-philadelphia-has-been-installing-green-roofs-and-rain-gardens-to-solve-a-massive-sewage-problem-with-rising-costs-and-implementation-setbacks-it-may-be-more-aspirational-than-feasible/

✍️ Kyle Bagenstose
📸 Chris Baker Evens Photography

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💧 In 2011, the Philadelphia Water Department kicked off its Green City, Clean Waters program. At the time, its goal to install green stormwater infrastructure was projected to cost 2.4 billion dollars over the span of 25 years. 12 years later, that estimate has risen to 4.5 billion. ➡️ Is this method of stormwater management worth its value? Is it even working? Learn more at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/05/30/since-2012-philadelphia-has-been-installing-green-roofs-and-rain-gardens-to-solve-a-massive-sewage-problem-with-rising-costs-and-implementation-setbacks-it-may-be-more-aspirational-than-feasible/ #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #gridphilly #gridmagazine #grid #phillynews #philadelphianews #healthywater #safewater #greencitycleanwaters #sewerinspection #sewagetreatmentplant #sewagetreatment #sewage #waterpollution #stoppollution #pollution #publichealth #publichealthmatters #publichealtheducation

💧 Philadelphia and Washington DC have two different ways of managing stormwater to prevent raw sewage from seeping into drinking water supplies — and one is working. In old cities like these, sewage systems often get overwhelmed by stormwater due to the volume of rain they receive, forcing raw sewage into creeks and rivers. Yes, even the ones we source our drinking water from. To solve this issue, the cities have implemented the following solutions: — Philadelphia: installed rain gardens and street trees to soak up stormwater — Washington DC: built a series of giant tunnels to hold stormwater until treatment time ➡️ Learn more about these methods of stormwater management and which has succeeded in catching up to the volume of rain we see today at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/05/30/since-2012-philadelphia-has-been-installing-green-roofs-and-rain-gardens-to-solve-a-massive-sewage-problem-with-rising-costs-and-implementation-setbacks-it-may-be-more-aspirational-than-feasible/ #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #gridphilly #gridmagazine #grid #phillynews #philadelphianews #healthywater #safewater #greencitycleanwaters #sewerinspection #sewagetreatmentplant #sewagetreatment #sewage #waterpollution #stoppollution #pollution #publichealth #publichealthmatters #publichealtheducation

hat’s next for the Logan neighborhood of Philadelphia? Before we can answer this question, it’s important to learn how the blighted area even reached its current condition in the first place. A look back on the timeline of Logan Triangle: • 100 years ago, about 500,000 cubic yards of coal ash and other fill was dumped in the Wingahocking Creek’s ravine to build the land up for development • The unstable fill subsided, undermining the houses and causing explosions due to breaks in gas lines • Starting in the 1980s the City spent $30 million buy out the home owners and demolish nearly 1,000 houses • In 2023 a developer pulled out of plans to build on the site, leaving 35 acres to sit vacant and the question for what’s next to remain ➡️ Visit https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/logan-triangles-past-leaves-neighbors-skeptical-of-new-development-push/ to read the full story about Logan Triangle’s past and what lies ahead for its future #philadelphia #philly #gridphilly #gridmagazine #phillynews #philadelphianews #environmentaljustice #environmentaljusticematters #environmentalracism #logantriangle #CommunityConcerns #UrbanPlanning #neighborhooddevelopment

Meet Star Beauchamps and Mickey Carter-Lopes, two of last season’s eight “Riverguides” whose work through Urban Trekkers helped foster connections between Camden’s fellow youth and its restored natural areas 🛶 ➡️ Visit https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/cleanup-efforts-restored-camdens-waterways-these-teens-are-bringing-people-back-to-them/ to read the full story about Urban Trekkers and the program’s positive impact on Camden’s residents #philadelphia #philly #gridphilly #gridmagazine #phillynews #philadelphianews #urbannature #urbanwildlife #urbanlandscape #citynature #natureinthecity #rivercleanup #cleanup #environment #nature #beachcleanup #pollution #cleanwater #riverconservation #stoppollution #pollutionfree #pollutioncontrol #waterpollution #protectnature

Meet Philly Thrive, the home repair program whose free repairs help low-income families combat gun violence, gentrification, climate change, and high asthma rates in southwest Philadelphia 🛠️ ➡️ Visit https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/06/01/free-repair-program-makes-homes-more-livable-and-sustainable-staves-off-gentrification-and-makes-neighborhoods-safer/ to read the full story about Philly Thrive’s mission #philadelphia #philly #gridphilly #gridmagazine #phillynews #philadelphianews #environmentaljustice #environmentaljusticematters #publichealth #publichealthmatters #publichealtheducation #homerepair #homeimprovement #homerenovation #renovation #homemaintenance #homerepairs #repair #housingjustice #housingjusticeforall #housingisahumanright #gentrification

Impassioned words from CM Nicolas O'Rourke for City Council At-Large at the Lift Every Voice Philly event on May 30 in support of appointing a Chief of Joy for the School District of Philadelphia. #philadelphia #philly #gridphilly #gridmagazine #phillynews #philadelphianews #education #educationmatters #educationforall #publiceducation #equaleducation #educationfirst