Neighborhood Rooftop Ventures: Incentivizing Urban Rooftop Farming, Green Roofs, and Solar/Wind Power for Philadelphia Neighborhoods

7/31/2019 Neighborhood Rooftop Ventures: Incentivizing Urban Rooftop Farming, Green Roofs, and Solar/Wind Power for Phil

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NEIGHBORHOODROOFTOPVENTURESINCENTIVIZING URBAN ROOFTOPFARMING, GREEN ROOFS ANDSOLAR / WIND POWER FORPHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOODS

The view from a Brooklyn Rooftop Farm (Photo: Inhabit)


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TABLE OF CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 2

INTRODUCTION TO NEIGHBORHOOD ROOFTOP VENTURES ...................................................................... 2

FINANCING........................................................................................................................................... 4

SOURCES OF FUNDING ...................................................................................................................... 4

Loan Repayment ......................................................................................................................... 5

URBAN ROOFTOP FARMING................................................................................................................... 6

URBAN ENERGY-PRODUCING ROOFTOPS............................................................................................... 7

NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................................. 7

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................ 9

REPORT LIMITATIONS............................................................................................................................ 10

CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................... 11

Appendix A: Potential Urban Farming NRV Program Assistance .......................................... 12

Urban Rooftop Farming Non-profit Consortium ................................................................... 12

Philadelphia Agencies ................................................................................................................ 1

Appendix B: Three Green Philadelphia Plans ............................................................................. 1

Green City, Clean Waters; Philadelphia Water Department .............................................. 1

Greenworks Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia ...................................................................... 1

Green 2015, City of Philadelphia .............................................................................................. 1


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The release of three plans by the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Water

Department to green Philadelphia in various ways creates opportunity for utilizing row

house rooftops, which are currently wasted or worse, cause energy drains. This report

recommends that Philadelphia create a Neighborhood Rooftop Venture (NRV)

program, which would allow neighborhoods to aggregate rooftops and create urban

farms or energy. For funding, the report recommends

that the City set up a low-interest revolving loan pool

which would allow NRVs to invest in revenue-

producing green rooftop projects with no or low

capital costs. This program would particularly benefit

low-income neighborhoods, as they will have a way to

create revenue and save money on energy that requires no upfront costs. NRVs could

produce power through wind or solar, or through co-operative farming ventures.

INTRODUCTION TO NEIGHBORHOOD ROOFTOP VENTURES

Opportunity exists on Philadelphias flat plains of row house roofs. Black row

house roofs contribute to the urban heat island effect, increase the cost of cooling

houses, decrease energy efficiency, and contribute to stormwater run-off issues. Green

roofs are an attractive way to address these negative effects while also decreasing air

Green roofs in the Faroe Islands (photo by Erik

Christensen, Wikimedia Commons)


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pollution and extending roof-life.1 Energy-producing roofs are a way to change

wasted, costly space into a revenue-producing and/or energy-saving space. The

timing has never been better to convert our unproductive roof plains into productive

farms and energy. In the last two years, the City of Philadelphia has released three

ambitious and forward-looking plans, Greenworks Philadelphia, Green 2015, and Green

City, Clean Waters. These plans aim to make Philadelphia greener, more energy

efficient and equitable in food access. The existence and goals of these plans provides

the regulatory momentum necessary to accomplish the idea set forth in this report. 2

A piecemeal, individual approach to installing green and energy-producing

roofs across the city would be inefficient use of resources. A more efficient way would

be for row house blocks to band together in Neighborhood Rooftop Ventures (NRVs)

and lease their rooftops to an urban farmer or solar/wind companies like a Power

Purchase Agreement (PPA). NRVs would decrease marginal installation costs while

increasing rapidly the benefits of energy efficiency and revenue production. More

importantly, NRVs would allow low-income neighborhoods to participate in greening

and money-saving and producing initiatives because up-front capital costs are

covered by the alternative energy companies, grants or low-cost loans. NRVs could be

revenue-producing businesses, co-ops or non-profits, creating jobs, efficiencies and

saving money. NRVs could provide first-step jobs and skills training for low-income and

1 DeNardo, J.C.; Jarrett, A.R.; Manbeck, H.B.; Beattie, D.J.; Berghage, R.D. 2005. Stormwater mitigationand surface temperature reduction by green roofs. Transactions of the American Society of Agriculturaland Biological Engineers. Vol. 48(4): 1491-1496.http://asae.frymulti.com/abstract.asp?aid=19181&t=12 See Appendix B for more information on each plan
http://asae.frymulti.com/abstract.asp?aid=19181&t=1http://asae.frymulti.com/abstract.asp?aid=19181&t=1http://asae.frymulti.com/abstract.asp?aid=19181&t=1http://asae.frymulti.com/abstract.asp?aid=19181&t=1


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minority populations. Creating policy initiatives for NRVs could be the lowest cost way to

implement Greenworks energy efficiency and urban farming goals.

FINANCING

The financing structure would require low-interest loans and grants. This report

proposes a revolving loan pool financed with various state and federal grants and

PECO seed money for NRVs. A City agency or nonprofit would have to be appointed

with the task of disbursing loans and information.

SOURCES OF FUNDING

The state allows PECO to spend up to two percent of its rate base, which

amounts $85 million annually, to reduce energy consumption by increasing targets.3

There are several initiatives through various agencies and programs that could set aside

some financing for this initiative, such as the Philadelphia Home Improvement Loan

Program (Redevelopment Authority), and Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds. The

City of Philadelphia was also granted $25 million through the Energy Efficiency and

Conservation Block Grant, which is an ideal fit.4 The U.S. Department of Energy has

granted more than $350 million to Pennsylvania for weatherization and energy

conservation.5 Some of this funding could be used for a revolving fund for

Philadelphians. Other options for funding NRVs include taxing regular black roofing

materials to better catch their social costs of increasing heating and cooling costs and

3 Greenworks Philadelphia. 2009. Pg 12.http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdf4Vice President Biden announces $25 million for major new energy efficiency effort in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cityof Philadelphia. Press release 4/21/2010. Accessed 12/14/2010.http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/5Obama-Biden administration announces more than $353.4 million in weatherization funding and energy efficiencygrants for Pennsylvania. United States Department of Energy. 3/12/2009. Online Press release. Accessed 12/14/2010.http://www.energy.gov/7042.htm
http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdfhttp://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/http://www.energy.gov/7042.htmhttp://www.energy.gov/7042.htmhttp://www.energy.gov/7042.htmhttp://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdf


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contributing to the urban heat island effect. This tax would then go into a fund for

NRVs. Taxing black roofing could prove a burden on low-income families; some type of

assistance or relief may be needed.

Loan Repayment

This report recommends a loan repayment structure that allows NRVs to repay

loans through resident savings on utility bills. Under this structure, PECO would deduct

installments from the energy savings from NRV residents utility bills. This creates an

automatic payback scheme that does not involve upfront costs or additional money

needed for loan payments. This structure allows the loan repayment to stay with the

house, not the owner, which makes sale of NRV houses easier.

Philadelphia has precedent to follow: Cambridge Energy Alliance in

Massachusetts arranged for low-cost loans with banks that are repaid through savings

on utility bills.6 In California, BerkeleyFIRST pays the upfront cost of solar-panel installation

and recoups costs through homeowners property tax bill.7 This type of repayment

scheme also has precedent within state law, as it is similar to Pennsylvanias

Guaranteed Energy Savings Act (GESA), which allows municipalities to contract with

energy service companies that implement energy savings projects and are paid back

through the savings from the energy conservation, avoiding expensive capital costs.

6 Cambridge Energy Alliance. 2009.http://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/residents/faq 7City of Berkeley Office of Energy and Sustainable Development. Berkeley FIRST Pilot Evaluation. 2010.http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-

_Energy_and_Sustainable_Development/Berkeley%20FIRST%20Initial%20%20Evaluation%20%20final%20(2).pdf
http://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/residents/faqhttp://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/residents/faqhttp://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/residents/faqhttp://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_Energy_and_Sustainable_Development/Berkeley%20FIRST%20Initial%20%20Evaluation%20%20final%20(2).pdfhttp://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_Energy_and_Sustainable_Development/Berkeley%20FIRST%20Initial%20%20Evaluation%20%20final%20(2).pdfhttp://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_Energy_and_Sustainable_Development/Berkeley%20FIRST%20Initial%20%20Evaluation%20%20final%20(2).pdfhttp://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_Energy_and_Sustainable_Development/Berkeley%20FIRST%20Initial%20%20Evaluation%20%20final%20(2).pdfhttp://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_Energy_and_Sustainable_Development/Berkeley%20FIRST%20Initial%20%20Evaluation%20%20final%20(2).pdfhttp://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/residents/faq


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URBAN ROOFTOP FARMING

Urban rooftop farming (URF) takes Green Roofs a step further by making rooftops

a source of revenue and fresh local food. In Brooklyn and Queens, factory roofs are

being converted to urban farms that sell produce to grocery stores, restaurants and

neighbors.8 URF is a relatively new concept with several regulatory barriers to

overcome, but the combination of urban farming and green roofs provides excellent

benefits we cannot ignore. URFs provide insulation, reduction of heating and cooling

cost, local food, economic opportunities, and community building and development

opportunities.9 Not all rooftops or vacant lots are appropriate for urban farming, but

many are. Urban farms and green roofs both raise property values, increase peoples

access to green space (which has a positive effect on health in itself) and reduce air

and water pollution.10 The infrastructure to support a local food economy is growing:

currently Philadelphia supports 200 food-producing gardens, 30 outdoor seasonal

farmers markets.11 Urban roof farming, and urban agriculture for that matter, should be

encouraged and allowed to happen as one of a diverse toolbox of planning initiatives

for healthy, local economies.

NRVs for Urban Rooftop Farming

NRVs could create a co-op and hire a farmer. The co-op could then harvest rooftop

food to sell to neighbors, neighborhood restaurants and food distribution systems. To

the owners of the rooftops, the farmer would then provide a dividend from producesales or free produce. The pinnacle Philadelphia co-op model is Weavers Way Co-op,

8Cardwell, Diane. Six Stories Above Queens, a Fine Spot for a Little Farming. New York Times. 5/13/2010.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/nyregion/14farm.html?_r=1 9 To see international urban rooftop farms, head herehttp://www.cityfarmer.org/subrooftops.html 10 ERICA OBERNDORFER, JEREMY LUNDHOLM, BRAD BASS, REID R. COFFMAN, HITESH DOSHI, NIGEL DUNNETT, STUART GAFFIN, MANFREDKHLER, KAREN K. Y. LIU, BRADLEY ROWE. 2007. Green roofs as urban ecosystems: ecological structures, functions, and services.BioScience. 57:10, 823-833. http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1641/B571005 11 Greenworks Philadelphia. 2009. http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/nyregion/14farm.html?_r=1http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/nyregion/14farm.html?_r=1http://www.cityfarmer.org/subrooftops.htmlhttp://www.cityfarmer.org/subrooftops.htmlhttp://www.cityfarmer.org/subrooftops.htmlhttp://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1641/B571005http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1641/B571005http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1641/B571005http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/pdf/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdfhttp://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1641/B571005http://www.cityfarmer.org/subrooftops.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/nyregion/14farm.html?_r=1


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which could provide expertise and advising for creating regulatory drivers, educational

documents and training neighborhood leaders how to set up a co-op.

Additionally, NRVs could lease rooftops to a farming company and use revenue to

supplement income or add to utility-payments to pay back loans faster.

URBAN ENERGY-PRODUCING ROOFTOPS

Row house rooftops can be an expensive energy drain. Many row house roofs

are wasted space, as residents either do not have roof access or cannot afford to build

roof decks. Low-income residents pay a higher percentage of their income to energy

costs due to inefficient houses and lack of education. Urban Energy-Producing

Rooftops (UERs) could provide a way to lower energy costs as well as provide a

revenue source for no-upfront costs. UERs could work with solar or upright wind turbines,

but as with URFs, not all areas are suited to solar or wind.

NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIPS

There are already initiatives for low-income energy assistance of which NRVs

could become a part. For low-income residents Philadelphias Energy Coordinating

Agency (ECA) pools funding from various sources and implements energy conservation

in low-income neighborhoods through Neighborhood Energy Centers.12 NRVs could

become an option that Neighborhood Energy Centers promotes in areas where they

think NRVs could thrive. ECA would then get additional funding for their program to

market NRVs and work with other nonprofit and city agencies to implement them.

12Institute for Sustainable Communities, Living Cities. Case Study: Philadelphia. 08/2010. Climate Leadership Academy Network.http://www.iscvt.org/resources/documents/philadelphia_ECA.pdf
http://www.iscvt.org/resources/documents/philadelphia_ECA.pdfhttp://www.iscvt.org/resources/documents/philadelphia_ECA.pdfhttp://www.iscvt.org/resources/documents/philadelphia_ECA.pdf


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NRVs for Urban Energy-Producing Rooftops

NRVs could lease their rooftops to energy firms in Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs).

The energy companies pay upfront capital costs with assistance from low-interest loans

from City and sell the energy back to the NRVs at a discount to PECO rates. This would

also create stable energy prices for low-income homes, which is especially important in

the first few years of PA deregulation. A subtle change that is needed for PPAs is

Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE financing, which is what was used for

BerkeleyFIRST, mentioned earlier. This allows repayment of capital costs of energy

installation through an increase in property taxes. This may be more attractive in

higher-income areas, as then people get to feel the off-the-grid feeling.

NRVs could contract with home energy efficiency firms like The Mark Group, based in

Philadelphia, in aggregate to reduce installation costs and receive bulk discounts. This

would not create revenue; however, it would utilize existing resources. Another option is

for the City, nonprofits, philanthropies or power companies (or a consortium thereof)

finance the installation outright, allowing low-income NRVs to pay little- to nothing- for

energy costs and allowing them to collect revenue on energy sold back to the grid. Or

perhaps the financiers receive only the revenue from energy sold to the grid as loan

repayment, creating an incentive to also concurrently install weatherization and

energy-saving measures.


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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Building Codes

As Greenworks recommended, the City should move quickly to implement new

building codes that creates safe energy efficiency and stormwater standards for all

new construction and extensive remodels in the city. There is simply no reason not to

build to good standards as it is the City and taxpayers that pay the social cost of poorly

designed construction. The Capital Budget Office (City of Philadelphia) has already

required white or green roofs to be installed on new public buildings and when roofs

need replacing. PWD mandates all new construction projects in city deal with the first

inch of rainwater on-site. These steps are important and need code. The City will also

have to expand and write code for URFs and UERs.

The City should pass legislation setting up a revolving low-interest loan program

to fund NVPs and divert funding to this pool. The City should also divert federal

weatherization and energy funds to fund a non-profit consortium consisting of

neighborhood groups, PHS, urban farming nonprofits, libraries, job training nonprofits,

churches and YMCAs to help implement NVPs around the city.

Urban Rooftop Farms

For URFs, Philadelphia should follow the City of Seattles lead and create a Year

of Urban Agriculture that will increase awareness. The City should also hire a Regional

Food Policy Director that works in the Mayors Office of Sustainability, as other cities

have done. Mayors Office of Sustainability has said it will create online web tool to

connect farmers with inventory of land available for growing. This inventory should


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include NRVs interested in partnering with farmers. The City should also quickly enact

Greenworks proposals, such as setting up a Philadelphia Food Policy Council.

Composting

The City should also follow the lead of more than 90 U.S. cities that collect and

compost food-waste, which will help meet the Greenworks goal of reducing solid waste

production by 75 percent, while providing soil for URFs.13 Another option would be for

the City to contract with private companies already offering composting services like

Bennett Composting to offer composting to under-served neighborhoods. Lastly, the

City could set up a program that would serve as a complement to NVPs that would

encourage Neighborhood Composting Ventures (NCVs), whereupon vacant and

blighted land is used to compost, and the finished product is sold to NVPs, urban

gardening centers, and neighbors.

REPORT LIMITATIONS

This report is not a complete, ready-to-implement plan and is by no means

exhaustive. This report serves as an initial introduction to an idea that could help meet

Greenworks goals by using the momentum behind Greenworks and stormwater fee

revisions to create revenue-producing initiatives for neighborhoods. There are many

details and regulations that will have to be worked out, but this is beyond the scope of

this report.

This report does not contain recommendations for how to convince Landlords,

especially those that own large parts of city blocks, to be part of NRVs since they do not

13Yepsen, Rhodes. U.S. Residential Food Waste Collection and Composting. BioCycle. 12/2009.Vol. 50, No. 12, p. 35.http://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001992.html
http://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001992.htmlhttp://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001992.htmlhttp://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001992.htmlhttp://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001992.html


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pay energy costs. Their property value will increase, and they could increase rent,

although in low-income areas, rent-increases are not ideal. Ideas include a revenue-

sharing or fee program between tenant and landlord or additional rental regulations

requiring investments in energy efficiency. While the author does not see this as an

insurmountable hurdle, the rental/landlord relationship and how it relates to NRVs will

require thought.

This report also does not address how to build urban roof farms or urban energy-

producing roofs or how to write any code thereof. Building code will need to be written

and expanded for energy-producing roofs and urban farming roofs. In low-income

areas with severely dilapidated buildings, NRVs may prove impossible if buildings need

substantial investments to even get the roofs able to carry extra weight.

CONCLUSIONSNeighborhood rooftop ventures (NRVs) could be a creative and lower cost way

to provide economic development while meeting green goals laid out in recent

Philadelphia reports. By aggregating rooftops, neighborhoods increase their

purchasing and bargaining power, while reducing installation and transport costs.

Additionally, NRVs could be a lower-cost way to implement money-saving and

producing green initiatives by having low- to no- upfront capital costs, and payback

through savings rather than cash. NRVs could turn unproductive, energy-draining

rooftops into productive spaces that help air pollution, stormwater management, and

energy conservation. The Philadelphia urban farming renaissance could help provide

grassroots support for NRVs in urban farming. For the Philadelphia region, this program


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would help bring together initiatives and programs to create a collaborative effort.

While all implemented taxes or initiatives will need oversight to ensure they are

implemented equitably, this could be done through a centralized agency. In

conclusion, setting up a low-interest revolving fund using available fudning mechanisms

could advance Philadelphias green goals and provide income-generating ventures for

low-income families in the city.

Appendix A: Potential Urban Farming NRV Program Assistance

Urban Rooftop Farming Non-profit Consortium

This list is by no means exhaustive, but represents what the composition of a Consortium

may look like. Philadelphia is fortunate to have a bevy of nonprofits and neighborhood

associations that would contribute greatly.

- The Common MarketPhiladelphia

- Greensgrow Farm- City Harvest program(run by

Philadelphia Horticultural Society,

Philadelphia Prison system, Health

Promotion Council of

Southeastern Pennsylvania)

- The Enterprise Center- Food Trust- Farm to Philly- Fresh Food Financing Initiative

(run by Food trust, Reinvestment

Fund, Greater Philadelphia UrbanAffairs Coalition, Food Trusts

Healthy Corner Store Initiative)

- Farm to City- Fair Food Farm to Institution

project from White Dog Caf

Foundation

- Weavers Way Co-op and Farm- Mill Creek Farm- Urban Nutrition Initiative- Norris Square Neighborhood

Project

- PA Association for SustainableAgriculture

- Philadelphia Association ofCommunity Development Corps.

- Teens4Good- SHARE- Philadelphia Horticultural Society- Philadelphia Zoo(could source

locally-grown food for animalsfrom West Philadelphia)

- Buy Fresh Buy Local- Urban Tree Connection- Nationalities Service Center- HIASand Council
http://www.philazoo.org/http://www.philazoo.org/http://www.urbantreeconnection.org/http://www.urbantreeconnection.org/http://www.nationalitiesservice.org/http://www.nationalitiesservice.org/http://www.hiaspa.org/http://www.hiaspa.org/http://www.hiaspa.org/http://www.nationalitiesservice.org/http://www.urbantreeconnection.org/http://www.philazoo.org/


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- South of South NeighborhoodAssociation

- Northern Liberties NeighborsAssociation

- Washington Square West CivicAssociation

- Bella Vista Neighbors

- Aramingo DevelopmentAssociation

- Andorra Homes Civic Association- Korean Community Development

Services

- Cambodian Association ofGreater Philadelphia

- Area colleges, universities and technical schoolsPhiladelphia Agencies

- Commerce Department- Philadelphia Water Department- Redevelopment Authority- Department of Public Health

- Mayors Office of Sustainbility- Workforce Investment Board- Office of Housing and

Community Development

Appendix B: Three Green Philadelphia PlansIn the last two years, Philadelphia has released three ambitious plans that aim to

increase green space, manage stormwater run-off and make Philadelphia the

greenest city in America. This momentum is ushering in smarter and holistic planning

goals and economic development plans.

Green City, Clean Waters; Philadelphia Water Department

The Philadelphia Water Departments Green City, Clean Waters program uses green

infrastructure and smart incentives to meet a federal mandate to reduce stormwater

events. Previously, PWD charged stormwater fees by how much water a property used

creating a pervese incentive that allowed many properties that created the most

stormwater run-off to pay little- to no- fees. The new fee structure charges by amount

of impervious surface on a property and includes previously un-charged structures like

parking lots and more correctly captures the social cost of stormwater run-off in its fees.

PWD offers free consulting to help businesses reduce stormwater fees through

identifying ways to reduce run-off through green roofs, rain barrels, rain gardens and

pervious pavement. This initiative will increase green roof cover in Philadelphia while

providing Philadelphians with the less expensive option than building new infrastructure

to meet the mandate. The program aims to have 3500 acres of greenspace and

pervious pavement by 2015. The installation of rain barrels and green roofs could help

urban roof farming.

Greenworks Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia

The second plan is the result of Mayor Nutters goal to make Philadelphia the greenest

city in America. The 2009 report, called Greenworks Philadelphia, is a comprehensive
http://www.southofsouth.org/http://www.southofsouth.org/http://www.southofsouth.org/http://www.southofsouth.org/http://www.southofsouth.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.washwestcivic.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.nlna.org/http://www.southofsouth.org/http://www.southofsouth.org/


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set of economic development, planning, energy and greenspace goals for the city of

Philadelphia to meet by 2015 and 2025. The report makes use of commissioned

economic studies, examples from around the world and the U.S., and non-profit work to

try to harness Philadelphias human capital. The energy, food, equity and greenspace

goals of Greenworks can be achieved in part by NRVs.

Green 2015, City of Philadelphia

The third plan, which Greenworks drew upon, is Green 2015, which calls for using empty

or underused land to create 500 acres of new green space by 2015.14

14Mayor Nutter announces plan to transform 500 acres into public green space. GreenworksPhiladelphia Blog. 12/8/2010.http://greenworksphila.wordpress.com/
http://greenworksphila.wordpress.com/http://greenworksphila.wordpress.com/http://greenworksphila.wordpress.com/http://greenworksphila.wordpress.com/

Documents

Neighborhood Rooftop Ventures: Incentivizing Urban Rooftop Farming, Green Roofs, and Solar/Wind Power for Philadelphia Neighborhoods