Put your ear to the hot streets of Philadelphia and you will hear something to do with green, sustainability or community development. Open your eyes while walking or biking through each neighborhood and you will see these words put into action.
Philadelphia is on the path to be the greenest city in the country, and with great projects like the storm water collection at Liberty Lands and a porous street in South Philly, we are on our way.
In this blog series, Green Sketches from the Hood, I will share with you various aspects, including green developers and personalities, that are driving different neighborhoods to be more green.
Let’s start with my very own neighborhood, Fishtown. Within the 19125 zip code there are community gardens, beautiful green developments, and residents taking action to support sustainability. Right beside Lola Bean I saw a young lady working on greening a lot. It was a beautiful site to walk past. There are many community gardens in Fishtown and Kensington where neighbors are claiming the land to grow flowers, vegetables and beautify the neighborhood.
There are many challenges with building green. Materials are not as easily attainable and are more costly. Products need to meet very specific standards to qualify for the green stamp of approval. Just as important as the appraisals recognizing the value of a green home, so do buyers and sellers to support this trend in development.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Nic Darling of Postgreen, to learn more about their projects and what they are bringing to the community. Post Green is a progressive company bringing unique green homes to the 19125 zip. They pride themselves on not aiming for mass appeal. They are getting people to rethink their housing needs and the way those needs impact the environment. Nic has great presence and brings tremendous energy to everything he does. He shares that it is all about reconnecting with your neighborhood; your home is a place to live in, it does not need everything to entertain you because the community will provide that.
One of their current projects, Avant Garage, is an example of both a green development and the philosophy that Postgreen represents. These four homes are LEED Platinum targeted and ISA designed. They are just off of Palmer Park and close to the ever growing Girard Avenue corridor. See more about this development and learn about their upcoming projects on their site.
For more examples of green efforts and to get involved check out Sustainable 19125.
Share your thoughts and actions here to support sustainability and greening our neighborhoods.
Until next time,
John
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