Healthy Communities Discussion Group with the Phila. Chamber of Commerce

A City That Works - July 21, 2008

This group had five participants. They were eager to participate and share their opinions. -- Report by Moderator Eddie Battle and Recorder Pete Lafferty

Performance measures (What would success would look like?):

• By the number of] people that stay in the city.

• Variety of businesses.

• Property values increases.

• Philly is a walkable city, [Philadelphians use public transit] SEPTA; California has disadvantage of being car oriented.

• Access to greenspace especially included in development plans.

• By how business decisions impact the environment.

• By how public safety issues are addressed.

• High crime and litter rates.

• If it's not safe in the neighborhoods, other things [areas] will suffer. There will be a lack of services. People and businesses will leave.

• Businesses involved in the environment, public safety and more.

• Visibility of police, to see police walking/on foot patrols.

• Vacant buildings action plan to address the problem of vacant buildings.

• Active commercial corridors helps to increase foot traffic.

• Active civic and residential groups equal healthy neighborhoods.

• Business decisions, even small ones, can support neighborhoods.

• Access to greenspace, public art and arts and culture attract people to neighborhoods to live and visit.

• Mural-arts programs.

Customer-service standards:

• Have organizational charts, i.e. Health Dept., PCDC, and other [depts. that service] small business, posted on the Web.

• How does everything fits, relationships [dept.al charts show how the dept. function and how different units relate].

• Save time when calling agencies, wright person [one can see who to call to address their problem].

• Download from Web. Information can be downloaded for later use.

• Creates transparency and avoids “who do you know” problem. Getting your problems solved by who you know in city govt.) Avoids needing political connections to get things done.

• Proactive citizen input, seeing positive outcomes and problems resolved.

• Currently, one will “call an office and get an answer, get call backs and get a friendly voice. Hope that this [positive attitude on the part of govt.] continues. I like the change, the human touch.”