For PhillyCarShare, it’s a natural fit.  When we heard about the Next Great City initiative, we knew right away that it was something we’d want to be a part of.  A plan that recognizes the importance of making our neighborhoods clean, safe, and healthy places to live and work is just what Philadelphia needs to become the Next Great City.

Next Great City has used the grass-roots strategy of appealing directly to community members, training over 20 volunteers to give presentations on the initiative to local organizations. Many of the Next Great City recommendations can be implemented at the community level- improving transit stops, cleaning & greening vacant lots, maintaining healthy parks, expanding and improving recycling- so it makes sense to begin education at that level as well.

Similarly, PhillyCarShare seeks the support and participation of the City’s residents and workers through direct means such as presentations to civic associations and sponsorship of local events such as farmers markets and music concerts. At the core, PhillyCarShare is about improving Philadelphia’s neighborhoods in innovative ways. In fact, our mission is to “maximize the economic, environmental and social benefits of reduced automobile dependence in the Philadelphia region through community-based car sharing.”  Reduced use of natural resources (members drive 53% less after joining, saving over one million gallons of gas), improved air quality (95% reduced emissions from driving hybrids, driving less, and making fewer cold starts), and increased transit use (members report using transit more after joining) are just a few of the positive impacts PhillyCarShare has had over the past five years.

By September, PhillyCarShare will be serving 40 Philadelphia neighborhoods, as well as 8 suburban/metro neighborhoods outside of the City. We are committed to spreading the word about the Next Great City initiative to each of these areas so that we can all reap the benefits of living in the Next Great City.