The Greenbuild Legacy Project is a yearly initiative that leaves a lasting impact on the host city of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. The Greenbuild Host Committee selects a project that demonstrates the benefits of green buildings and sustainability for community health and equity.

This year’s conference will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov. 12–15.

2024 Greenbuild Legacy Project

The 2024 Greenbuild Legacy Project is "East Parkside, Past and Future: Building a Sustainable Community" and focuses on the East Parkside neighborhood in West Philadelphia. This project is from the Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation (CPCDC). CPCDC was established by a group of East Parkside residents with the intention of promoting an equitable development strategy that sustains an economically and culturally diverse community, improves the health and well-being of residents, strengthens the community’s identity and connectivity, and enhances the quality of the physical environment.

East Parkside is a community bounded to the west by Belmont Avenue, to the east by the Schuylkill River, to the north by West Fairmount Park and to the south by the Amtrak Harrisburg corridor. The neighborhood is accessible by car, public transportation and bike. However, all of the transportation and pedestrian infrastructure is in need of improvements and an updated design to increase accessibility.

This project focuses on activating public spaces that spark conversations between the past and future East Parkside. The project will link stories of the rich legacy and culture of community leadership and connectedness; the once vibrant neighborhood corridors; and the neighborhood’s historic significance to Philadelphia.

Main project features

The East Parkside project has four major elements:

CPCDC headquarters green building retrofit
Playful learning installations
Bitter Litter—clean community campaign
Community greening

According to Jessi Koch, director of equitable development, CPCDC, “'The East Parkside, Past and Future: Building a Sustainable Community' project showcases our multifaceted approach to supporting a healthy, resilient and activated East Parkside neighborhood. Every aspect of the Legacy Project has been created through community collaboration [and] local and national partnerships. Together, these projects are achieving community goals related to commercial corridor revitalization, building and public space preservation and activation, energy conservation, and more!”

CPCDC headquarters

The CPCDC headquarters will undergo a high-performance energy retrofit, demonstrating the possibilities of sustainable preservation practices. A window display will provide information about energy use and green technologies, as well as community news and cultural celebrations. In addition, the residential unit on the second and third stories will contribute to long-term affordable housing options.

Playful learning installations

Through CPCDC’s community partnership with Drexel University’s playful learning interdisciplinary seminar course, community members collaborated with students and local experts to create a series of six playful learning installations. These spaces will foster intergenerational interaction and enrich children’s cognitive and social development in the public spaces they encounter every day. Installations include a repurposed shipping container featuring a solar array donated by PosiGen and a mural depicting the solar system and how solar power works.

A playful learning installation that teaches children about solar power and the solar system. Image courtesy of the Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation.

Bitter Litter program

In 2023, CPCDC created the Bitter Litter program—an educational awareness program providing information and resources on how trash and litter impact human health and safety. This campaign is led by Director of Sanitation and Environmental Justice Aminata (Sandra) Calhoun and the CPCDC Clean and Green Ambassadors. The ambassadors program hires from within the community, providing opportunities for workforce development in partnership with the city of Philadelphia "Taking Care of Business" program, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and other institutional partners.

Aminata Calhoun (center) and the CPCDC Clean Green Ambassadors. Photo courtesy of the Centennial Parkside Community Development Corporation.

Community greening

Community greening of the East Parkside neighborhood is an ongoing and essential community activity. CPCDC is working to connect the neighborhood with West Fairmount Park through the planting of native or environmentally sustainable plants and trees along streets that lead into the park. These greenways will include educational signage about the ecosystem of East Parkside and the greater Philadelphia region.

This program also supports planting pollinator and native plants in neighborhood parks, as well as community gardens and tree planting on residential blocks. The CPCDC mission is to “preserve, promote and revitalize East Parkside.” Koch notes that “In all of our collaborative community work, we strive to create opportunities for intergenerational relationship building and fostering new community leaders. [CPCDC] and our many partners are committed to bringing the investment into the community that will support a thriving East Parkside today and far into the future.”

Get involved

CPCDC is seeking additional financial contributions of $50–$5,000. When making a donation, please add a note identifying your donation for the Greenbuild Legacy Project. Whether you are making an individual donation, organizing a fundraising campaign or promoting CPCDC’s work through your social media and contacts, every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Additionally, there are opportunities to contribute your time and expertise to support community capacity building and special projects.

The Greenbuild 2024 Legacy Subcommittee is looking forward to sharing progress and updates about East Parkside on social media and encourages others to get involved in supporting this important initiative.

2024 Greenbuild Legacy Project: A sustainable future for East Parkside