If ever there were a city of firsts, it's Philadelphia: birthplace not only of the U.S. Constitution, but also the country's first public library, hospital, public bank, and computer. This same spirit of innovation continues today as Philadelphia's world-class institutions of higher education drive research and development in key industries such as advanced healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
A powerful regional force, Philadelphia is positioning itself to be a leader on urban issues like sustainability and infrastructure development. GreenPlan Philadelphia is a 20-year comprehensive plan for the development of parks and open space, and a serious push underway to redevelop the Delaware and Schuylkill waterfronts.
The ceaseless activity and industry generated by the city's many arts and cultural organizations are making Philadelphia a destination city. With music and arts festivals multiplying, green housing developments sprouting citywide, and new skyscrapers changing the skyline, Philadelphians are once again beginning to see their home as a city of firsts.
By: Teresa Masterson, 10/30/2008
About four years ago, Chad Ludeman and his wife Courtney bought a house
and spent two years and their life savings working to restore and
rehabilitate it. Then on Memorial Day 2006 Chad came home from his
engineering job and told his wife he wanted to sell their house, quit
his job, and build an affordable "green" house, proving to the world
that you don't have to be wealthy to build and live green.
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By: Abby Mendelson, 10/23/2008
Is urban agriculture the future of sustainable urban living? Farmers
markets and community gardens are multiplying across the Commonwealth
as more people choose to buy locally produced food--or grow their own.
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By: Joe Petrucci, 10/23/2008
Scott Ungerer, founder of EnterTech Capital in 1996, has long known
what the rest of us are just realizing: eventually we'll have to quit
the hydrocarbon economy for something else.
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By: Teresa Masterson, 10/16/2008
How a small startup working out of a makeshift lab in North Philadelphia is aiming to transform the biodiesel industry--and the way we think about alternative fuels.
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By: John Steele, 10/16/2008
As Pennsylvania communities become increasingly engaged with development projects, they are beginning to grapple with the question of brownfield redevelopment--and are making their voices heard.
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