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Date:                   Jan. 20, 2007

Location:            Greater Olney Library

Participants:        Eight people

 

Participants in each group were first asked to describe one hope or one fear as the city enters its election year.  Then each group did an exercise that asked participants to imagine they were giving a good friend’s family advice on whether to move to Philadelphia.

  • What would be the pros and cons of that move?
  • What forces and factors underlie those pros and cons?
  • What steps could the city and region take to strengthen those pros or weaken those cons?

For a full description of the exercise, see http://go.philly.com/friendsdilemma

Moderator's Report:

By Harris Sokoloff   

What were the group's most striking hopes/fears?

 

HOPES:

  • The new mayor will bring leadership.

  • Focus more on neighborhoods.

  • Support more focus on arts and culture.

  • Focus on improving public schools.

FEARS:

  • "Business as usual."

  • New leaders will not bring new leadership.

What "pros" emerged as most important?

1. Diversity: racial, ethnic, religious and economic

2. Cultural institutions: art museums, music, drama, cultural groups

3. Public transportation: economical, with current gas prices, and convenient (can get to any part of the city). It saves the environment.

4. Neighborhoods and housing: diversity of housing types, of people, and of social class.

5. Range of educational institutions; options available at every level. 

 

What "cons" emerged as most important?

1. Crime: high rates; sense that it is perspective.

2. Schools: K-12 schools are getting better in some places, but not all.

3. Housing: Landlords don’t take care of properties.

4. Apathy of politicians: In it for themselves, not citizens.   

 

Let's look at the pros and cons in detail:

 

1. Pro: Diversity

Why is this pro important?

  • Diversity is racial, ethnic, religious and economic.
  • It brings different perspectives to our lives.
  • Adds to richness of living in mixed neighborhoods.

 

What forces or factors underlie it?

  • Variety of different kinds of housing (single family, row, two family, rental) available in neighborhoods.

  • Variety of cultures, each with its music and food.

  • Different kinds of restaurants in the neighborhoods.

  • Philly is a place that nurtures and treasures young artists more than anywhere else in the country.

What action steps could weaken it? What actors should do them?

  • Create a campaign – with music, photos, etc. – that illustrates and applauds the diversity in different neighborhoods.

  • The campaign should show different neighborhoods and the foods available in each. 

Now the cons ...

 

1. Con: Housing 

Why is this con important?

  • Landlords who don’t take care of properties downgrade the physical environment.
  • Absentee landlords don’t care about neighborhoods, which are one strength of the city.  

 

What forces or factors underlie it?

  • L&I doesn’t force accountability of landlords and management companies.
  • No good reporting system.
  • Civic organizations have no support.

What action steps could weaken it? What actors should do them?

  • Hold landlords and management companies more accountable by making them register with civic associations and other neighborhood associations.

  • Require landlords to spend X percent of income on upkeep of outside physical environment.

  • Require landlords and management organizations to send representatives to monthly civic association or neighborhood association meetings.