Clean & Green

In her inauguration speech, Mayor Cherelle Parker said she wanted to make Philadelphia the "safest, cleanest, and greenest big city" in the U.S. That's a tall task for a city that's earned the moniker "Filthadelphia" over the years. Parker has embraced "cleaning and greening" as part of her mayoral brand. Here's how she trying to deliver on that campaign pledge.

Philadelphia Skyline with Greenery in Foreground From Drexel Park

Mayor's clean-and-green efforts include focus on quality-of-life issues and neighborhood resilience

As it relates to "clean," Parker said her administration would work to address quality-of-life issues, including:

litter
illegal dumping
graffiti
abandoned automobiles
vacant lots
and nuisance properties.

One the "green" front, the mayor has pledged to use more renewable electricity, reduce emissions, and protect and grow the city’s tree canopy.

In her 2024 city budget proposal, Mayor Parker allocated funds for:

Funding city-wide, summer clean-up program
Piloting twice-weekly trash collection
Addressing illegal dumping, abandoned cars and litter

Key offices and efforts

Created The Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, a large expansion of the city's sanitation efforts
This office runs the Citywide Cleanup Program, a residential district-by-district cleaning program, as well as a twice-a-week trash collection program
In 2024, the 13-week summer clean-up program helped clean more than 20,000 neighborhood blocks and commercial corridors.

Key quotes

"We’ve already begun cleaning neighborhood commercial corridors across the city, and now, Clean and Green will begin cleaning every residential block citywide."
"We’re going to deliver on our promise and end “Filthadelphia” once and for all." (May 2024 announcement)