1518 Walnut St, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.pennfuture.org
215-545-9692 (phone)
215-545-9637 (fax)

Contact:
Cardenas Grant Communications
Luz Cardenas, 215 520-8850
Barbara Grant, 215 520-8849

For Immediate Release: January 23, 2007

MEDIA ADVISORY

Next Great City Coalition to Call on Next Round of Elected City Officials to
Help Make Phila a “Great City”

Coalition to Announce 10 “Cost Free/Cost Neutral” Recommendations to
Improve Environment Across City Neighborhoods

WHO:
Feather Houstoun, President William Penn Foundation
John Hanger, President and CEO, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture)
Karen Black, Principal, May 8 Consulting
Christine Knapp, Eastern Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future
Kathy Black, Health and Safety Director, AFSMCE District Council 47
Blaine Bonham, Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania’s Horticultural Society
Alisa Orduna Sneed, Executive Director, The Partnership CDC
Nick Torres, Executive Director, Congreso de Latino Unidas
Mayoral Candidates Invited (Tom Knox -- confirmed)

WHAT:
PennFuture and a coalition of nearly 70 Philadelphia partner organizations will roll out the “The Next Great City Report and Recommendations”. The Next Great City coalition calls for the next Mayor and City Council of Philadelphia to take the actions recommended in the report to improve the environment in neighborhoods across the city.

WHEN:
Thursday, January 25, 2007 -- 9:30 a.m. Press Announcement

9:45 a.m. Presentation of Next Great City: Philadelphia Report and Recommendations

10:00 a.m. Respondents Panel

WHERE: Atwater Kent Museum- Experience Philadelphia Gallery,15 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA

WHY: Philadelphia is on its way to becoming the country's Next Great City. Philadelphia's downtown has seen the strongest retail, tourism and residential growth in a half century. Housing markets that were stagnant are now moving again and, for the first time in decades the number of Philadelphia building permits exceeded that of some of its suburban neighbors. Blight that had advanced unchecked for decades is on the run. Philadelphia, however, cannot become a great city by fighting blight and strengthening our downtown alone. To become a great city, all of Philadelphia's neighborhoods must be good, safe and healthy places to live and work served by an efficient, effective city government.

Funded by the William Penn Foundation and made up of community, public health, environmental and civic organizations, the Next Great City initiative came together in the fall of 2005 to address the environmental and public health issues that are harming Philadelphia’s economy and quality of life.

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Last Updated: January 24, 2007