New Urban Order

Should We Envy Paris’s Swimmable River?

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo got a lot of attention for cleaning the Seine in preparation for the Olympics. But that may not be best goal for Philly’s local waterways

By Diana Lind

My Week of Eating Local

Cooking and consuming ingredients that are grown near where you live is good for the environment and your health. But is it worth the cost and effort in Philly?

By Olivia Kram
Citizen of the Week

Jacqueline “Jax” Cusack of Roxborough Development Corp

The new-ish head of the neighborhood group grew up caring for and communing with the region’s parks and waterways. Now she’s bringing her lifelong passion for the environment to bring more green to the Northwest Philly neighborhood

By Rachel Wisniewski

Farmers Markets You Need to Try In and Near Philly

Fresh local produce and handcrafted wares return to parks and neighborhoods this month. Here, a few of our faves

By Irene Levy Baker

Where’s Parker’s 100-Day Cleaning Plan?

The Parker administration has touted a “new approach” to clean and green Philly. More than 100 days in, Philly’s former litter czar sees the same old-same old — and offers concrete ideas for positive change

By Nicolas Esposito
Ideas We Should Steal

Climate Resilience Hubs

When government was slow to help Wilmington, DE residents hit by Hurricane Ida, one woman stepped up with a grassroots disaster response team that is now a permanent fixture. Could a similar program help underserved Philly communities at climate risk?

By Angie Bacha

Four Ways to Improve Recycling in Philly

Recycling in Philly is broken. Here’s how Mayor Parker’s administration could fix it.

By Courtney DuChene

Is My Recycling Being … Recycled?

Philadelphians' skepticism about the City’s waste policies has led to an abysmal recycling rate. Here’s what really happens after you put out your blue bin — and how the City could do more

By Courtney DuChene

Earth Day Philadelphia Guide

More than 50 years after the holiday began, there are more reasons — and more ways — than ever to combat climate change, right here in Philly

By Rosamelia Lara Sanchez, Christina Griffith and Lauren McCutcheon
Ideas We Should Steal

Manufacturers Paying for Recyclable Waste

In California, Colorado and other states, Extended Producer Responsibility laws help fund recycling efforts in underserved communities. Could a similar rule improve Philadelphia's trash problem?

By Courtney DuChene