Philadelphians from eight community focus groups love trash pickup & more trees, but want more trash cans, new parks and greening programs expanded.
Mayor Parker has said her mission is to make “Philadelphia the Safest, Cleanest and Greenest City in the nation.” But how do residents think she is doing on that promise?
“Things have been a little better.”
“The extra trash day is cool, but I just think that they could do a lot more because Philadelphia is a trashy city, and it’s so embarrassing when we have other guests come from out of town.”
“I think the city should put more trash cans in, not just downtown, but in the neighborhoods.”
Those are just a few things that residents said about Mayor Parker’s Office of Clean and Green Initiatives during recent citywide focus groups conducted by Social Science Research Solutions and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism*. All of the participant quotes were anonymous.
Overall, surveyed Philadelphians support trash pickup and the removal of abandoned vehicles, but they want to see more proactive approaches to trash mitigation and for green spaces to be safer and well-maintained.
Trash pickup and more trees are great…
Participants recognized increased trash pickup service and street sweeping as a positive part of Parker’s Clean and Green initiatives.
Twice weekly trash collection began in select neighborhoods at the beginning of December 2024. According to the study, “The majority of participants supported this initiative and wanted it to expand citywide.” In South Philly, the change was noticeable to one resident, who said that her neighborhood was “a little better” since twice weekly pickups began.
Others noted that 311 has also been more responsive to neighborhood complaints about litter and illegal dumping. “Since Parker’s been in office, they’ve been very responsive, even showing up as soon as 24 hours,” said another woman from South Philadelphia. One man from Center City reported having called 311 twice for abandoned cars in his neighborhood, both of which were picked up “within a couple of days.”
Along the streets, participants expressed appreciation for the administration’s installation of bike lanes, pothole maintenance, the city’s compensation for pothole-damaged vehicles, and tree coverage. One West Philadelphian said that the City’s replacement of the trees along Benjamin Franklin Parkway “was a good thing…In the long term, it makes the parkway a better place to be if there’s trees up and down there.”
Participants said that greening spaces would cut down on litter. “If you have nice areas where you have trees or flowers, people might start to kind of care again,” said one focus group member from North Philly.
Several participants credited local community volunteers – not the city – for upkeep of green spaces and newly planted trees. The Office of Clean and Green partners with several city and community agencies, but it is unclear from the focus group summary whether participants were referring to tree projects under the Clean and Green umbrella.
“[The Parker administration] cleans the whole city, but it seems like as fast as she picking up trash, or having the sanitation pick up trash, somebody else is just dumping trash there.”
West philadelphia resident
…but the litter returns and the parks need maintenance
Many people in the focus groups bemoaned a continuing litter issue despite the Clean and Green’s cleaning efforts. Both street trash and abandoned cars seem to return as quickly as they were picked up. “[The Parker administration] cleans the whole city, but it seems like as fast as she picking up trash, or having the sanitation pick up trash, somebody else is just dumping trash there,” said one man from West Philadelphia. New abandoned cars reportedly replace those that were picked up within days.
One participant called it “embarrassing” to have guests from out of town who see all of the trash out on their street in South Philly.
Litter makes its way to poorly maintained green spaces as well. Families said they want more parks, and they don’t feel safe letting their children play in the ones that are available currently. “At least in Southwest Philly, I don’t take my kids to the park here because [the play equipment] were metal…they were rusted. It was really quite shocking, the state of the parks in this area,” said another woman.
“There’s nowhere for [kids] to even play basketball,” said one Southwest man.
4 things residents think the Parker Administration should do moving forward:
Continue cleaning and expanding the cleaning initiatives, like twice-weekly trash collection and the Block Captain program.
Provide more public trash receptacles and cleaner public restrooms to help cut down on litter. “They should put trash cans on the corners of neighborhood blocks,” said one West Philadelphian.
Make the streets and sidewalks more pedestrian- and bike-friendly. Create more bike lanes and maintain the sidewalks, because “there’s a huge safety issue when it comes to holes on sidewalks, unevenness, and all that,” said a Center City resident.
Prioritize and create new green spaces as opportunities for community connection, play, and gardens.
*Note: The study participants represented Center City, West, South, and North Philadelphia. Almost half of the participants were between the ages of 36 and 50; the majority (62%) identified as female, and over 80% identified as either White or African American. Most self-reported as either “somewhat comfortable” or “just getting by” regarding their financial situation.
Cover photo: Mayor Cherelle Parker, Credit Chris Mansfield | PHL City Council
This content is a part of Every Voice, Every Vote, a collaborative project managed by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Lead support for Every Voice, Every Vote in 2024 and 2025 is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Comcast NBC Universal, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation, Judy and Peter Leone, Arctos Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, 25th Century Foundation, and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation. To learn more about the project and view a full list of supporters, visit www.everyvoice-everyvote.org. Editorial content is created independently of the project’s donors.
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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. NEWS TIPS: angiebacha1@gmail.com View all posts by Angie Bacha
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