A busy 2015: Get caught up on Next Great City's exciting updates

After months of preparation, we’re excited to announce some big -- and exciting -- developments on behalf of the Next Great City Coalition!

Last year, we hosted participatory, town hall-style meetings wherein member organizations – on behalf of the thousands of Philadelphians they collectively represent – made clear their priorities for the next mayor. After voting and deciding on our top issues for 2015, we got to work researching and refining our recommendations so that we covered all of the bases: Why is this important and what will it do? Are there other cities already doing this well? And, perhaps, the most important question: How do we pay for it?

This hard work culminated in an exciting agenda for 2015 with six brand new, high-impact, feasible actions that the next mayor can take in his or her first term of office that benefit every neighborhood in the City of Philadelphia. On February 18, members of the Next Great City Coalition presented this agenda at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Pop Up Garden in the Shops at Liberty Place. The event received great coverage and introduced our six new recommendations: healthy houses; nourished students; strong, local businesses; trails and bike lane access; clean public spaces; and storm preparedness.  

Next up: On Tuesday, March 3, the Coalition is hosting its BOOKED TO CAPACITY Philadelphia Mayoral Candidates’ Forum at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Hundreds of people have registered to attend. The event is being hosted in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Flower Show, “Celebrate the Movies,” and is being co-presented by the Healthy Rowhouse Project. The event is completely free.

Five candidates have confirmed their attendance: Senator Anthony Hardy Williams, former City Council member Jim Kenney, former District Attorney Lynne Abraham, Doug Oliver, and the Hon. Judge Nelson Diaz.

All five candidates will be speaking to the six recommendations the Coalition has proposed and supported for 2015. This will be a great opportunity to kick start a substantive debate in this election so that citizens can make an informed decision about the future of Philadelphia. 

We’ve done a lot in just a few months -- and we can’t wait to get started on the new initiatives we know will help Philadelphia reach its ultimate goal of becoming the Next Great City. 

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's Philadelphia Outreach Coordinator. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

An opportunity for substantive dialogue in Philadelphia

In less than one month, the Next Great City Coalition will be hosting the first-announced Philadelphia Mayoral Candidates’ Forum on March 3 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

In a race that has so far been described as “vacuous,” this forum presents an opportunity to kick start a substantive dialogue in the run-up to this year’s Philadelphia mayoral primary. As a guiding principle, the Next Great City has always made recommendations to the Mayor that are largely tangible and practical but also high-impact. Our soon-to-be-released agenda for 2015 identifies six key initiatives that will lead to renewed investment, energy and strength in the city's neighborhoods while supporting sustainable practices and an effective city government. Each recommendation features detailed action steps that not only propose what should be improved upon, but also how.

At the forum, we’re asking candidates questions that are specific to the agenda, ensuring that the dialogue addresses the wide range of sustainability policy areas that were chosen democratically by our diverse coalition members – with each organization bringing a very different perspective to the issues facing the city of Philadelphia.

We don’t have to wait for the forum to start having conversations about where Philadelphia is headed. We’re inviting social media users to post a photo to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts (with the hashtag #nextgreatcity) that they believe make clear Philadelphia is on its way to becoming the Next Great City.

Make your priorities for the next mayoral administration heard today and on March 3!

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's Philadelphia outreach coordinator. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

Save the date: Next Great City's Philadelphia Mayoral Forum

Exciting news from Philadelphia - the Next Great City coalition has announced the date of its quadrennial Mayoral Forum! 

The event is to be held on Tuesday, March 3 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Flower Show, "Celebrate the Movies." Dave Davies of WHYY FM will serve as moderator. 

The forum will serve as an opportunity to ask the candidates running for Mayor if they share our vision for a Philadelphia where every neighborhood is healthy, clean, and safe, and is served by an effective government. 

Event Details

What: Philadelphia's Next Great City Coalition's Mayoral Forum 

When: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 from 6 - 8 p.m.

Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center

Hosted by: The Next Great City coalition, a group of over 100 civic, environmental, labor and business organizations that has been working in partnership for the betterment of the city since 2007. 

Questions or interested in volunteering?: Email Katie Bartolotta at bartolotta@pennfuture.org

Hope to see you there!

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's Philadelphia outreach coordinator. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.