The Stormwater Pioneers program showcases innovation and a true dedication by property owners and others to decrease pollution. “We’re hoping to keep trash, debris and other pollution out of the water supply so that everyone can enjoy a clean Schuylkill River. If we can play a small part in making the environment better for the next generation, that’s a major plus for us,” stated Joe Jaconski.
“It’s entirely possible if you give people the right information and appeal to them in different ways, they’ll react differently. We’re going to study which social and economic factors dictate why people might be able to build green infrastructure,” says David Hsu.
EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe says Philadelphia is leading by example in implementing green infrastructure storm water management practices. “Storm water management, which sounds like such a dry subject, although it is very wet, is turning into something much bigger.”
Video describes how city will deploy green roofs, absorptive pavement, and expanded park space to clean up Philadelphia’s water, and generally make the city a more pleasant place to live.
Historic agreement commits city to deploy the most comprehensive network of green infrastructure found in any U.S. city. “Philadelphia is known nationwide for its cheese steaks and the Liberty Bell – but it’s now one step closer to adding “greenest city in America” to that list,” writes Larry Levine.
Through its Official Community Plan Update, the District is advancing a vision for restoring the rainfall absorption capacity of our watersheds, one property at a time, over time.
Kongjian Yu is best known for his “sponge cities”. President Xi Jinping and his government have adopted sponge cities as an urban planning and eco-city template. “The mottos of the sponge city are: Retain, adapt, slow down and reuse,” stated Kongjian Yu. “Based on thousands of years of Chinese wisdom, the first strategy is to contain water at the origin, when the rain falls from the sky on the ground. We have to keep the water.” Yu’s designs aim to build resilience in cities faced with rising sea levels, droughts and floods.
“After expanding its analysis of potential ways to reduce CSOs, Philadelphia chose a Green Stormwater Infrastructure approach over more traditional engineered solutions and is addressing the total water balance, where all components of water supply, stormwater and wastewater are managed in a closed loop,” states Mark Maimone.
