1179

MARIAN YOUNG, from page 5

‘80s changed how people viewed work. I hope we don’t lose sight of the risks taken – and benefits uncovered – through the whimsical and eccentric in the workplace, where the initial youthfulness of tech encouraged people to dress more comfortably, to hang out for a beer during the day, and to feel it was okay to take ping pong lessons where ev- eryone could see. These experimental attitudes have ques- tioned the atmosphere of the office building, where many of us will spend more than half our lives. But I also sense companies understand the gravity of taking a position through what they offer their talent pool. Those concerned with employee health and office culture are maturing their work environments through experiences, not moments. And, when done right, the upside is a formula that contin- ues to result in a win-win for all. RYAN MULLENIX is a partner with NBBJ . He can be reached at @ryanjmullenix. This post was originally published by Entrepreneur . There are many partners working to green-up the city, from community gardeners and urban farms like GreensGrow in Kensington and Walnut Hill Community Farm, to the Philadelphia Orchard Project and the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society’s Pop-Up Gardens. Talented design and construction teams are working on the Schuylkill River Trail, Frankford Creek Greenway, and Bartram’s Mile. Corporations like PECO and Brandywine Realty have installed green roofs on top of their buildings. So what’s my vision? I see a bright green future for the city of Philadelphia! MARIAN YOUNG is president of BrightFields, Inc., an environmental consulting and remediation firm focusing on brownfield redevelopment and ecosystem restoration. She can be reached at myoung@ brightfieldsinc.com. This article first appeared in Philly Biz . it into thousands of green installations. Already, the difference is visible in hundreds of new projects that provide park-like beauty and functional ecosystem value. Research shows when people are exposed to green plantings and healthy ecosystems, they will be calmer, happier, more inquisitive, and alert. A special focus has been placed on showcasing green infrastructure projects in schools. Understanding and caring for the environment is critical for our children and their future. If we can teach kids how to care for the land and water, we can grow more environmentally-aware generations of people. I’d like to see Environmental Science taught in pre-schools and kindergarten. I love the Green Woods Charter School in Roxborough, it is a national model for teaching the EIC Program – Environment as an Integrating Context. “Understanding and caring for the environment is critical for our children and their future. If we can teach kids how to care for the land and water, we can grow more environmentally-aware generations of people.”

disposal began killing fish, amphibians, and birds. But some did notice, like Rachel Carson who wrote Silent Spring in 1962. Concerns about pollution and environmental protection crystallized in nationwide Earth Day demonstrations in 1970. The Environmental Protection Agency was established and new laws were rapidly passed to protect air, water, endangered species, and the oceans. In 1976, with the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, wastes could no longer be indiscriminately dumped; they had to be tracked from cradle to grave. We finally understood that there is no “away.” There is no magical place we can send all our garbage where it will never come back to haunt us. We stopped dumping and began the long slow process of restoration. In 1980, EPA’s Superfund Program began investigating and cleaning up contaminated sites where no viable owners could be found. In the early 2000s, cities, states, and developers partnered to rebuild on old industrial brownfields, and return these underutilized sites to the tax rolls. BrightFields (Best Firm #7 Environmental for 2016) remediated the Bartram North and South properties and portions of the Frankford Arsenal that are now ready for new construction. The EPA calculates an average return of $17 on every public dollar spent toward brownfield redevelopment. So in 2016, we pause and reflect on 150 years of industrial dumping and less than 50 years of cleanup and restoration. Today’s focus is on pulling up sections of impervious concrete and pavement, cleaning up polluted soil, restoring floodplains, revegetating riverbanks, and creating new ponds, wetlands, bioswales, and tree boxes to manage storm water and mitigate flooding. These green infrastructure projects are bringing environmental, social, and economic benefits to cities across the county. Philadelphia Water Department’s 2011 Green City, Clean Waters Plan, the first in the nation, lays out a visionary 25- year blueprint to clean the city’s stormwater by infiltrating

RYAN MULLENIX, from page 7

considered an amenity – as is the shortened commute that usually comes with the location. This isn’t just more con- venient and environmentally-friendly, it’s healthier too, as longer commutes are linked to health problems. “Those concerned with employee health and office culture are maturing their work environments through experiences, not moments. And, when done right, the upside is a formula that continues to result in a win-win for all.” WHAT’S NEXT? WILL AMENITY CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE “AGE,” OR WILL AGE INFLUENCE “AMENITY”? Amenity spaces have come full-circle since the personal tech boom of the late 1970s and early

THE ZWEIG LETTER December 12, 2016, ISSUE 1179

Made with FlippingBook Annual report