About Us
What is Green Village Philadelphia?
Green Village Philadelphia is a PA nonprofit corporation founded by a coalition of local business owners, local food systems pioneers, socially responsible investment specialists, sustainable design professionals, and business development experts.
Green Village Philadelphia aims to create a vibrant model of sustainable urban renewal and revitalization, developing underutilized land adjacent to an economically sensitive residential area in a neighborhood near Central Philadelphia.
The Green Village Philadelphia Eco-village – A Sustainable Neighborhood Development Initiative
Green Village Philadelphia and its partners are working to combat community deterioration by developing the first urban Eco-village in Philadelphia, built around a mixed-use, green business marketplace that will serve as a community hub and a catalyst for comprehensive neighborhood revitalization. The Green Village Philadelphia Eco-village will be a model of the regenerative design with integrated systems that mimic nature inefficient production and reuse of resources; a built environment that will generate renewable energy, conserve, clean and reuse water, provide space for both wild habitat and urban agriculture, minimize or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, and implement closed-loop systems that eliminate waste, to create a net positive impact. In addition to cutting edge environmental strategies the Green Village Philadelphia Eco-village will be beautiful, inclusive, diverse, and ensure equitable access to green affordable housing, local business ownership, and green-collar jobs.
The Green Village Philadelphia Eco-village initiative is responding to the need for attractive and safe urban neighborhoods that provide economic opportunities benefiting locals and visitors alike, and demonstrate best practices in ecologically sensitive design and sustainable community development. It will answer the call of a progressive administration that is seeking innovative ideas to unify and beautify this rich and diverse city, and enhance the global visibility of Philadelphia.
The Eco-village Will:
- Cluster, in one accessible destination, the goods, services, and jobs of a local green economy that serve the needs of the neighborhood and attract green-oriented shoppers from all over the region.
- House an incubator and accelerator for clean technology, green retail and triple-bottom-line businesses that will support local entrepreneurs and position Philadelphia as a green innovation and job-creation center.
- Incorporate green public open spaces that will provide safe and beautiful focal points and gathering places for the community.
- Foster and support urban farming initiatives in and around the neighborhood that model a way for post-industrial Philadelphia to participate in health-promoting and sustainable food systems.
- Foster and support wild green space for habitat restoration in the neighborhood.
- Be a inclusive development model providing market rate and affordable green commercial and residential spaces.
The Community Benefits Will Include the following:
- Public transit-oriented urban development reduces the need for personal transportation and dependency on fossil fuels.
- Living landscapes on, in and around buildings that significantly absorb storm water and reduce the urban heat island effect, as well as providing space for food production and a community connection with the natural world.
- Easier access to locally produced goods and services keeping wealth circulating in the communities that need it most.
- Local jobs and equitable land ownership prevent the displacement of marginalized residents.
- A safer, healthier, and more beautiful urban environment encourages people to feel more connected and responsible to their neighbors and to their environment.
Location
The Green Village marketplace would ideally serve as a bridge between a high-poverty zone and the affluent business and residential zones closer to Center City. Locating the marketplace on or near commercial corridors that create the borders between these communities would ensure a sustaining customer base for the businesses while providing economic development opportunities for workers, entrepreneurs, and residents in the less affluent neighborhoods. With this in mind we are investigating property in the Kensington South neighborhood of North Philadelphia. Bordered by the fast developing communities of Northern Liberties to the south and Fishtown to the east. This neighborhood can serve as a bridge between affluent and underserved communities and is ripe for revitalization.
Tenants
We have a growing community of committed and interested commercial tenants that includes Green Village Philadelphia, Benchmark Asset Managers, The Sustainable Business Network, Kimberton Whole Foods, Back to Life Wellness Center, Farm to City, Tree Boom and Made in Philly, Arts and Spirituality Center, The Reiki School, Barefoot Doctor Community Acupuncture, The Empowerment Group, SHARE Food Program, and others. We are actively recruiting businesses in sectors such as green manufacturing, green technology, and local food processing that can provide green-collar jobs in the community. We are working with community partners to ensure that space is reserved for entrepreneurs in the neighborhood who want to be part of this business community.
There is also tremendous interest from individuals and families interested in purchasing or renting homes in this unique urban “green village”.