City planning survey, bird songs as art, & more

monument lab

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:

Philadelphia Planning Commission launches survey to hear from residents. The Philadelphia2050: Planning Together survey asks Philadelphians to provide their input on how the city should be built moving forward. The survey’s topics include weather, flooding, health and safety, and what a “thriving neighborhood” looks like. To share your thoughts, click here.

Friends of Wissahickon announce new Executive Director. Sara Stevenson is the new Executive Director of the Friends of the Wissahickon. Stevenson has over 15 years of experience in conservation and garden leadership, currently serving as the executive director of the Awbury Arboretum.

Pew Center for Arts & Heritage grants $360,000 to environmental arts project. With their new project titled [birdsong], public art group Monument Lab will be creating a space to celebrate bird songs. The project seeks to explore “the intersections of public memory, environmental stewardship, and ecology through sound,” according to Pew’s grantee announcement.

Perkiomen Mapping and Flood Mitigation Plan complete and available to the public. The Perkiomen Mapping and Flood Mitigation Plan mapped out flood zones along the Perkiomen Creek watershed, affecting more than 400,000 residents. The plan identified over 130 flood sites across the watershed. The full plan and recommendations can be accessed here.

New Jersey in drought, asks residents to voluntarily reduce water usage. A drought warning is in effect in parts of New Jersey due to lack of precipitation, attributed to climate change. Officials said that the state has overall experienced below-average precipitation for over a year. Pennsylvania is also dry, with 37 counties under a drought watch. The Philadelphia Inquirer

Cover photo: Monument Lab’s unveiling celebration for Nekisha Durrett’s Don’t Forget to Remember (Me) on April 24, 2024 at Bryn Mawr College. Monument Lab’s new project [birdsong] received a 2025 Center grant. Photo by Steve Weinik.

Angie Bacha

Angie Bacha (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based solutions journalist and recent Erasmus Mundus Master's in Journalism, Media and Globalisation student in Aarhus, Denmark. Previously, she worked as a student journalist at Community College of Philadelphia and Editorial Intern at Resolve Philly. Some other hats she has worn: Human Rights and Theatre Studies graduate; teaching artist; carpenter; AmeriCorps volunteer; and rock climbing gym shift supervisor.