“Your city is electric,” a smiling man in a yellow Ecuadorian soccer jersey said to me as we flowed with a crowd into the stadium where Ecuador would play against Côte d’Ivoire.
I have always loved Philadelphia, but until that afternoon, I had never thought of it as “electric.” Seeing our city through the eyes of visitors from around the world changed my perspective.
Although the tournament has ended, when I travel through the city this summer, I still feel the galvanizing energy that man was describing. It did not leave with our visitors. And as the CEO of Fairmount Park Conservancy, I am excited about what this moment means for Philadelphia’s identity and future, especially in our public spaces.
As soccer fans, Independence Day celebrants, and residents filled our parks, museums, neighborhoods, restaurants, and stadiums this summer, Philadelphia’s culture and civic pride were on the national and world stages. We met a remarkable moment and performed extraordinarily well. And we did this by tapping into our history, our public spaces, and our unrivaled civic pride; by being America’s Renaissance city.
Granted, the world only has one true Renaissance city – Florence – but let’s consider the similarities. Florentines never defined themselves in relationship to Rome’s political power. They were confident that their influence drew inherently from culture, ideas, craftsmanship, education, and civic ambition. Every era has cities that reinvent themselves through those strengths. Today, cities such as Bilbao, Medellín, Seoul, Singapore – and increasingly, Philadelphia – demonstrate that the spirit of the Renaissance lives wherever history becomes a platform for the future.
Philadelphia is to the American founding what Florence is to the Renaissance. We should embrace that identity, not out of nostalgia, but as inspiration for the future.
It is not a perfect analogy. Florence was the cradle of the Renaissance and spread across Europe, Philadelphia was the cradle of our nation’s founding and ideas about independence were shaped by Boston, New York, Virginia, and other places. Yet Philadelphia occupies a singular place in our national story. Philadelphia stoked ideas about representative government, liberty, and civic participation that were transformed into institutions that have influenced the world for nearly 250 years. Today we talk about ideas Philadelphia should steal — but we’ve generated a few hits of our own.
Like Europe’s great historic cities, Philadelphians have also understood for centuries the importance of the public realm. Some of our favorite public parks are older than the U.S. Constitution. And every park, square, riverfront, and civic corridor is where residents and visitors encounter one another and experience a city’s identity – a tradition enduring from the 17th century to the FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill this summer.
Our public parks tell a story about who we are, and their excellence in design should be a civic expectation, not a luxury. As we look to the future, I see an extraordinary promise in how we may connect Fairmount Park, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, neighborhood parks, and our waterfronts into a coherent cultural landscape that is welcoming, equitable, and sustainable.
Because wonderful places are expensive to maintain, and neglect is even more costly, such an ambition requires sustained investment. In Philadelphia, we inherit a remarkable civic legacy, but we must also continue creating one. If our city is indeed electric, it falls to each generation to power the current.
Through the partnership between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Fairmount Park Conservancy, every Philadelphian has an opportunity to participate in and contribute to that future. Residents can participate in programs like Love Your Park, which show what is possible when residents take ownership of their local public spaces and when government, nonprofits, and communities collaborate with a common purpose. Love Your Park engages an average of more than 5,000 volunteers annually, who participate in over 100 service events during spring and fall citywide activations. Neighbors can also join one of the 140 Park Friends groups that host activities year-round such as park cleanups, tree plantings, outdoor movie nights, concerts, festivals, educational programs, and community days.
This opportunity extends beyond individual residents giving of their time and labor. When our local business community invests in urban green spaces, they demonstrate social and ecological responsibility. Well-resourced parks address climate change globally and foster healthy communities locally, creating long-term value for both Philadelphia and the business.
Coming out of an electric summer, this is our call to action: show up for the places that bring us together, care for the parks that define our neighborhoods, and invest in the public spaces that tell Philadelphia’s story. A great city is not defined only by its monuments or institutions, but by the care it shows for the places that belong to everyone.
As we look toward Philadelphia’s next 250 years, let us carry forward the same civic ambition that shaped our founding. The energy we felt this summer was a reminder of what Philadelphia can be. Now let us sustain it by supporting our parks and welcoming one another into these shared spaces. Let us ensure that every neighborhood has a place to gather, connect, and thrive.
Philadelphia is to the American founding what Florence is to the Renaissance. We should embrace that identity, not out of nostalgia, but as inspiration for the future. This remarkable summer reminded us of what is possible. The world came to Philadelphia, and we showed the world who we are. Now comes the more important challenge: carrying that confidence forward. If we invest in our public spaces with the same ambition that shaped our founding, Philadelphia can strengthen its position as America’s great civic and cultural city.
Tony Sorrentino is CEO of Fairmount Park Conservancy.
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