From the Director: Innovative Watershed Techniques Make Fairmount Park Great
It’s great to see Fairmount Park recognized by the American Planning Association (APA) as one of 15 Great Places in America because it helps to highlight something that I think Philadelphians have known for a long time, which is that we have one of the most expansive, engaging, and useful park systems anywhere in the world. Our parks are not just about recreation and exposure to green space, but about environmental utility. The APA specifically calls out our innovative watershed techniques and that Fairmount Park was one of the first of its kind to protect its municipal watershed from industrial pollution and degradation of water quality. What’s grown out of that initiative is some of Philadelphia’s remarkable parks, especially Wissahickon Valley Park, which is one of the most beautiful parts of Philadelphia. It is also an environmentally meaningful place for our citizens. Congratulations to Parks & Recreation, Kathryn Ott Lovell, and the great PPR staff, who work to support our parks, for this wonderful recognition. Let’s continue to come together as a community to support and maintain them. Read more about the APA award here.
by Maura McCarthy, Executive Director
Photo by Charles Uniatowski