First Clean, then Green? Examining Mayor Parker’s promise to “prioritize environmental sustainability” with the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives

Casey Kuklick, Deputy Director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, lays out the office’s Fall 2024 plans.

In January, newly-appointed Mayor Parker released her 100-Day Action Plan for a “Safer, Cleaner, Greener Philadelphia,” which outlined a long-term Clean and Green plan that would “prioritize environmental sustainability by meeting the city’s carbon neutrality goal, increasing the use of public transit, and expanding the tree canopy.” 

So far, however, the initiative has focused on cleaning up trash; it has provided clear plans for continued litter removal. The “Green” plan is less clear, leaving questions about prioritizing climate change.

Trash pickup takes precedence

Clean and Green’s extensive “One Philly, United” citywide cleanup program ran from June 3rd to August 30th, completing over 61,000 quality-of-life services, according to the City. Services included sanitation block cleaning, pothole repair, and abandoned vehicle removal.

With a poverty rate of 21.7%, Philadelphia cannot afford to ignore its trash problem. Litter contributes to a negative feedback loop on the local economic wellbeing of a community, in addition to having dire environmental and public health consequences. 

And it is no secret that Philadelphia is notorious for its trash. After all, illegal dumping is reportedly the number one reason for 311 calls, and the nickname “Filthadelphia” has been around since the 1970s by some accounts. 

Casey Kuklick, Deputy Director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, says the Cabinet will continue working to clean the city in several ways in Fall/Winter 2024. 

“One big thing that’s happening this fall is the district-based residential cleaning program,” said Kuklick. The program soft-launched two weeks ago and divides 100 sanitation department workers into 10 defined cleaning blocks. “Each crew has 10 members on it, and those folks are proactively cleaning routes within the council districts.”

Helpful to these new crews may also be the rollout of more public trash and recycling Bigbelly receptacles, “double” the number of cans in the past, according to Kuklick.

Lack of public trash cans has been a persistent problem for the city, despite research indicating that increasing the number of trash receptacles decreases public litter. 

Finally, the office will soon roll out another measure to curb litter: twice-weekly trash collection. 

“We went through some of the 311 requests around illegal dumping, and often what we see is that illegal dumping is occurring from residential households in high-density neighborhoods, so they don’t have a lot of space to store trash,” said Kuklick. 

Twice-weekly collections will begin to roll out a pilot this fall before the end of the year.

A vague green plan

Well-designed urban green space is an important tool for climate resiliency. A climate-resilient greening plan could capture pollution, improve water quality, and reduce the heat island effect.

“Our office is working currently to develop a plan around greening that really focuses on natural, neighborhood-based green infrastructure solutions,” said Kuklick. 

Much of that plan is still under wraps until “early 2025.” Some of it will be climate-forward.

This includes being a part of the Philly Tree Plan, which recently received a $12 million grant from the USDA to support implementation. The grant seeks to help Philadelphia “in becoming more resilient to climate change and combating extreme heat through increased urban tree canopy,” said Meryl Harrell, Deputy Secretary for USDA Natural Resources and Environment in a press release. 

The Office further intends to green up vacant lots in the city in partnership with the Taking Care of Business program. Important to Kuklick – who has a background in urban greening at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society – is also maintaining those lots.

“The maintenance of green spaces in communities is so important to sustaining the benefits of green spaces and keeping them well-used,” said Kuklick. For instance, “a public space that moves from a basketball court lawn to well-planted trees with pollinator gardens – I think you’ll see people using that space and caring for that space much more.” 

On the other hand, Kuklick added that the Office is considering asking community members to green their own spaces through gardening on their stoops or in window boxes, saying that it can make a block more “attractive.” 

With climate change already negatively impacting energy bills, flood insurance, and even the risk of heat-related health issues, the push to prioritize greening projects that do more than beautify remains urgent.

Lacking other parts of the Mayor’s sustainability promise

Notably, Philadelphia’s Climate Mayor’s promise also included working towards meeting the “city’s carbon neutrality goal, [and] increasing the use of public transit.” No clear information has been released from the Office regarding these two points.

Meanwhile, the Clean and Green Cabinet includes members such as Philadelphia Parking Authority Executive Director, Richard Lazer; and President and CEO of Philadelphia Gas Works, Seth Shapiro. 

When asked if Shapiro’s presence in the cabinet poses a potential conflict of interest, Kuklick provided no comment, but added that he believes PGW has a “large stake to play.”

Cover photo: Mayor Cherelle Parker signs an executive order for the Creation of a Clean and Green Cabinet, May 2024.  

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