Greening Avenue of the Arts, July 4th heat wave, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:

New beautification efforts along Broad Street. Construction of a new green traffic median in front of the Kimmel Center is now complete. The median is part of a larger $150 million master plan to beautify the mile-long stretch of Avenue of the Arts over the next several years. The plan includes reconstructing sidewalks, adding more greenery and street trees, and redesigning traffic and transportation flow. WHYY

Updated swing bridge as a connection to green space and commerce. Philadelphia has been working to update a dilapidated swing bridge just south of the Grays Ferry Avenue bridge across the Schuylkill. Called the Schuylkill Crossing, the new structure will be considered a key connection along the Schuylkill River Trail, ultimately providing better access between Southwest Philly and Center City. Community activists are concerned, however, that this may lead to “green gentrification.” The Philadelphia Citizen

July 4th weekend heat wave will be an outlier. Weather forecasters are predicting at least three consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures in the Philly region during this upcoming holiday weekend. The latest forecast shows dangerously hot conditions, with heat index values between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Vulnerable populations are advised to take extreme caution. WHYY

PECO Union workers set to strike. Philadelphia Electric Company employees are prepared to go on strike on July 4th, they said in a press conference last week. The union represents lineman, gas technicians, call center workers, and mechanics who all work to provide electricity to the residents and businesses of Philadelphia. PECO workers are calling for a contract with fair medical and retirement benefits. 6 ABC

Arts and culture programming celebrates local watershed. Last weekend, the Olney Culture Lab of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia hosted an immersive, multimedia event to highlight challenges and celebrations of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed. de/composition: Native Trees, Sonic Roots brought together a number of local partners, including Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, TreePhilly, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership, and Bennett Compost. 

Cover photo: de/composition, courtesy of Wendi Wu from Tacony-Frankford Watershed