Celebrating Earth Day: Transportation and Environmental Leadership in Philadelphia
Around the U.S. and globally, Earth Day is recognized annually on April 22nd. People take the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and organize for a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
Prior to 1970, in the U.S., there was no collective effort to address the negative impacts our actions were having on our planet. Corporations were able to pollute the land, air, and water with no legal ramifications or clean-up required. It wasn’t until the spring of 1970 when senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to force these issues onto the national agenda. That year on April 22nd, twenty million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities, and it worked! Public interest and concern around our environment became an important issue to Americans.
Within the transportation sector, many strides have been made to reduce its effects on our planet. From increased access and usage of public transportation to the development of green corridors in cities, our daily movement is becoming more sustainable. In celebration of Earth Day, the WTS Philadelphia EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Committee is highlighting two leaders in Sustainability. Kelley Yemen from the Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS), and Elizabeth H. Lankenau, AICP, from the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability. Thank you, Kelley and Liz, for the important work you do every day to keep Philadelphia environmentally conscious and sustainable!
Kelley Yemen, AICP
Director, Office of Multimodal Planning
Office of Transportation & Infrastructure | City of Philadelphia
How have you overcome challenges within your field/workplace?
As planners, were trained to think of systems, political implications, and long-term Impacts. That challenge comes with translating those network or systems goals into on-the-ground projects. We often won’t see the impacts of mode shift from just one or two projects but need to build a connected network to reach a tipping point to see a tangible change. Managing that change process is the most challenging and in the end gratifying part of the work.
Do you have any female role models either in sustainability, transportation or both? What inspires you about them?
I’ve worked under some strong female leaders in transportation from being at NYC DOT during Janette Sadik-Khan’s tenure and working for Randy Wade of the Pedestrian Projects Group. Randy was an artist who became a passionate pedestrian planner and she brought a strength of will to transform streets for pedestrians that continues to be an inspiration to me. In Minnesota, I worked for two strong female leaders at public works who were committed to change management within the public sector to ensure modern transportation design and strong communication were at the forefront of project delivery.
What advice would you give to your high school self (or a younger mentee) about being a female leader in sustainability/transportation?
You don’t know where life is going to take you but take time to understand what drives you. Don’t worry about being a “leader” so much as doing good work and getting a depth of experience under your belt. Growth, development, and leadership will come if you're seen as the person who gets it done and gets it done well, no matter the assignment. When you’re offered an assignment or an opportunity, step up and take it. It might mean risk and it might mean getting out of your comfort zone (I’ve moved halfway across the country a few times), but those are often the biggest moments of growth.
How do you like to celebrate Earth Day?
I take a bike ride with my daughter.
What current sustainability initiatives/ projects is your organization working on?
As an office, we’re currently working on over 50 projects, studies, and programs to improve walking, biking, transit, and access to EV charging throughout the city. They range from large corridor transportation projects like Walnut St separated bike lanes in West Philadelphia to working with schools and children for the upcoming bike-to-school day on May 5th to developing new street design standards with the Streets Department.
Elizabeth H. Lankenau, AICP
Director
City of Philadelphia | Office of Sustainability
How have you overcome challenges within your field/workplace?
For me, the biggest challenge over the last year has been getting up to speed on the subject matter, particularly the complexities of mitigation and adaptation – and there’s still a long way for me to go. My team has been great in providing 101s, and in March I completed the week-long coursework for a Climate Change and Energy certificate from Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education Program. The City is also a member of C40, which provides many opportunities to learn about the most pressing issues in this field. And, of course, I ask a lot of questions of my colleagues!
Do you have any female role models either in sustainability, transportation or both? What inspires you about them?
I worked with many strong, impressive women over the years in the transportation field, particularly as it relates to I-95 – I’d hate to overlook any of them by naming one. Being new to the sustainability field, I’m still getting to know the actors in this space; however, I’ve been so impressed by Emily Schapira at the Philadelphia Energy Authority. So smart, with such a can-do attitude. Without her leadership, the amazing work of her team, and the collaborative spirt they’ve shown with the Office of Sustainability, major energy savings projects, such as the Streets Department-led citywide conversion of 130,000 streetlights to LEDs, might’ve happened but it would’ve taken longer (Philly Streetlight Improvement Project).
What advice would you give to your high school self (or a younger mentee) about being a female leader in sustainability/transportation?
I graduated from Central High School of Philadelphia (Class 248), but didn’t know where I was headed. I knew I wanted to live in a city but it took me moving back home from Pitt for a few months after college to really latch on to the importance of understanding of how cities develop and the importance of protecting the built environment as a means of telling the stories of those who came before us. This led to entering Penn’s Historic Preservation Program and working at the City’s Historical Commission for a few years before entering the consulting world where my work life moved away from capital-P preservation to land use and then transportation planning. So, my main pieces of advice are: 1) don’t rush yourself into defining what you want to do when you grow up (I’m still figuring that out at 52), and 2) be open – come from a place of yes when opportunities present themselves. While I may have felt like I was drifting at some points, all of it was building to something important and gratifying…and I wouldn’t change any of it.
How do you like to celebrate Earth Day?
On a small, personal level, I’ve always liked clean-up/green-ups so I get out and sweep, with special attention to cleaning the inlet surfaces of debris. It’s a nice way to see an immediate impact, particularly in a professional field where so much of it is about the long-game. There are a lot of demands on our office around Earth Day so we take an Earth Month approach – but really, every day should be infused with care for the environment! Close to Earth Day, on April 9th, a bunch of us will be headed out to Adams County for a ribbon-cutting for a solar array that will provide renewable energy to about one-quarter of our municipal buildings while also providing budget stability against electricity market volatility.
What current sustainability initiatives/ projects is your organization working on?
- Our Environmental Justice team is working on developing a publicly accessible mapping tool that identifies Philadelphia neighborhoods affected disproportionately by environmental hazards and lacking equitable access to key services and environmental amenities.
- Our Resilience team has ongoing place-based work in Eastwick, and just launched a community-driven Flood Resilience Strategy specific to that community. The team is also focusing on citywide flood mitigation work, in collaboration with many City departments, that must address and respond to flooding events that impact all of us with greater frequency and intensity.
- Our Climate Solutions team will be releasing an Energy Poverty Alleviation Strategy later this spring.
- Our Municipal Energy team will be launching another project with the Philadelphia Energy Authority to finance major upgrades to improve indoor comfort for 14 City offices, health centers, and homeless services buildings through energy savings.
- Our Policy and Strategic Initiatives team has been facilitating the work involved with maximizing the opportunities of the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act, and more specifically the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers unprecedented funds for clean energy, energy security, and climate-based work.