Recognizing and thanking The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Green Parks Revitalization Project for transforming neglected parks into safe, attractive, and vital community places - On Its Tenth Anniversary.

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society established Philadelphia Green, it’s urban greening program, to work with community groups and residents in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia to plan and implement greening projects; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia has some 150 neighborhood parks, which by the early 1990’s were showing serious signs of neglect due to diminishing City resources to maintain them; and

WHEREAS, The Society established the Parks Revitalization Project in 1993 to work with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation and many dedicated community volunteer groups to transform neglected parks into safe, attractive, and vital community places; and

WHEREAS, The Parks Revitalization Project now has 40 active parks in its program making such improvements as playgrounds, gardens, and renovated park buildings; and

WHEREAS, Today, City parks are once-again, due to these efforts, thriving centers of community life—the sites of barbecues, Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations, musical performances, festivals, gardening workshops, and community meetings; and

WHEREAS, The Parks Revitalization Project has been a model for how parks can contribute to the renewal of urban neighborhoods, and has received the Urban Parks Institute “Great Parks/Great Cities Award” and now a federal grant in the amount of $820,000 to further its excellent work; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize and thank the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green Parks Revitalization Project for transforming neglected parks into safe, attractive, and vital community places —on the occasion of its Tenth Anniversary.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green Parks Revitalization Project as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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