Philadelphia Urban Resilience Forum 2024 - Event Recap

- Alicia F. Hamilton, Emily Pugliese, and Karen Igou, Green Building United

AIA Philadelphia, Green Building United, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and ULI Philadelphia hosted a thought-provoking discussion, “Building a More Resilient Philadelphia: Lessons from Climate Change,” exploring how our city can adapt and thrive in the face of a changing climate. Recognizing the interconnected nature of resilience, participants explored strategies across various scales – from regional planning to community initiatives and individual building design – laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future. 

The program agenda and speaker bios can be found on the event page. Video recordings of each keynote presentation and panel conversation can be found on ULI Learning. 

Panel 1: Future-Proofing our Region: Strategies for Resilience in the Greater Philadelphia Area 

The event featured a keynote presentation by Glenn Schwartz, Senior Consultant, with AKRF (also known to many in Philadelphia as “Hurricane Schwartz”) who provided a comprehensive overview of the changing climate and its implications for Philadelphia. Glenn moderated Panel 1’s discussion which explored strategies for building a more resilient region. Panelists from ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and University of Delaware – Water Resources Center discussed the challenges and opportunities posed by extreme heat and flooding, the role of federal investments, and the importance of nature-based solutions. Dialogue in the room highlighted the need for collaboration between public and private sectors to address these challenges, the importance of engaging the public, and incorporating climate resilience into planning and design at all levels.  

Panel 2: Working Collaboratively for Resilient Communities 

The second Keynote presentation was given by Abby Sullivan, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Philadelphia. She presented an overview of the city’s resilience initiatives and how the Office of Sustainability is working with communities and City staff to prepare and mitigate the effects of climate change. Moderated by Abby, panel 2 explored the collaboration required to create truly resilient communities. With panelists from the East Falls Development Corporation, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, City of Hoboken, and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, they discussed common challenges including funding, prioritizing community engagement and buy-in, adequately addressing and responding to the impacts of more extreme weather patterns, and long-term maintenance of investments. They also shared the actions required to meet resiliency goals, with an emphasis on planning ahead, stacking funding opportunities, community engagement and political buy in.   

Panel 3:  Climate Prepared Institutional and Commercial Properties: Protecting from Flooding and Extreme Heat 

The third panel began with Claire Donato, President with Mark B. Thompson Associates, PC providing an overview of the history and current status of the Fairmount Water Works, a significant National Historic Landmark for its engineering achievements and an enduring work of architecture that has taken on an iconic role in the imagery of Philadelphia’s cultural landscape, drawing people to the river for over two hundred years. It is also a uniquely adaptable place, allowing a building built for a very specific use to survive and remain relevant to its original purpose and to the institutional legacy of its original founders – what is now the Philadelphia Water Department. The durability and original design of the buildings at Fairmount provide lessons and guiding principles for its ongoing and sustainable use. Questions were raised and addressed specifically around remediation efforts in the last 30 years and why certain choices were made during updating and safeguarding this legendary property.

Ron Pluto, Vice President – Engineering with Brandywine Realty Trust presented a case study of resilience for new construction commercial properties with the development of 3151 Market Street in University City, Philadelphia. The project built for life sciences companies and lab space is LEED Platinum and WELL Certified Silver with advanced design for rainwater harvesting to reduce building consumption and assist in cooling mechanics. David McHenry, Principle with Erdy McHenry Architecture and Chair of the ULI Resilience Committee introduced the panel and served as moderator.  

A heartfelt thank you to all who participated in the 2024 Philly Urban Resilience Forum. Your insights and contributions were invaluable to foster a robust discussion on climate resilience strategies.

We also express our appreciation to the dedicated members of our event planning committee and the ULI Philadelphia Resilience Committee for their tireless efforts in organizing this successful event. 

Together, we have taken another step toward building a more resilient Philadelphia for generations to come.  

We extend our sincere gratitude to our generous sponsors and the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate for their support: