Philly TreeS

Philadelphia Towards Racial and Environmental Equity​

Philly TREEs is a healthcare sustainability group at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. A key focus is addressing the inequitable distribution of greenspace in Philadelphia. Street trees significantly improve community health and safety by reducing the urban heat island effect and lowering rates of gun violence and crime. Yet, neighborhoods with lower income, higher heat vulnerability, and greater public health risks often have the least tree canopy cover.

Philadelphia requires tree planting for developments over 5,000 sq ft, as outlined in §14-705 of the City Code. However, affordable housing developments are currently exempt, meaning residents who could benefit most from greenspace are left out.
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Philly TREEs opposes the exemption, asserting that affordable housing residents deserve the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of greenspace. This project will analyze the City Code’s tree maintenance rules, other exemptions, and enforcement mechanisms. Fellows will produce a report exploring the impacts of the affordable housing exemption on developer choices and community perspectives.

the water center

University of Pennsylvania

While water reuse is often associated with arid regions, it’s becoming increasingly relevant in water-abundant areas where water quality—not quantity—is the main concern. With support from the Water Center, CL@P will explore water reuse opportunities across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where reliable rainfall is met with challenges like aging infrastructure, pollution, stormwater runoff, and shifting weather patterns.
These issues, including more intense storms and longer dry spells, are pushing the need for innovative water management. Water reuse can help protect natural systems while improving resilience in urban infrastructure.

This year’s CL@P Capstone Project will focus on analyzing policy and governance frameworks, including regulatory incentives to encourage water reuse in regions where it’s not typically prioritized. Fellows will also examine community engagement strategies to better understand public perception and address concerns about safety and aesthetics. Finally, the project will assess the economic impacts of water reuse, comparing its costs and benefits to traditional municipal water management approaches.

Sally Blagg ​

Outdoors for all

Since 2011, the Sally Blagg Family Foundation has worked to reduce both physical and psycho-emotional barriers between communities in the Upper Schuylkill River Valley and the Schuylkill River Greenway. Since 2016, their work has focused on neighborhoods like Germantown, Nicetown, West Allegheny, and Strawberry Mansion to better understand obstacles to nature access and safe passage to the water.
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This year’s CL@P Capstone Project, Outdoors for All, puts students at the heart of social-impact work. Fellows will conduct community interviews, draft blog posts and press releases, and engage in conversations around public safety and the outdoors. The final report will include maps, community commentary, and actionable suggestions for improving access, and will be shared at the Outdoors for All Mini-Conference (April 5, 2025) and again in the community before the end of April. If the final presentation takes place on campus, community partners will be invited to participate in the conversation.

Kleinman Center for Energy Policy ​

University of Pennsylvania

Agriculture is vital to global food systems, rural livelihoods, and environmental sustainability—but it’s increasingly challenged by rising food demand, ecosystem degradation, energy insecurity, and climate change. While sustainable agriculture can support both people and the planet, low-carbon transition efforts often overlook the complex impacts tied to land use, resource extraction, and social inequities—especially in agriculture.

This year’s CL@P Capstone Project explores land use conflicts at the intersection of agriculture, energy, and low-carbon transitions, with a focus on differences between the Global North and Global South. Fellows will map key stakeholders—farmers, Indigenous communities, energy companies, and policymakers—and examine how their interests and influence vary. The project also investigates recurring conflict themes like land rights and energy justice, and evaluates conflict resolution strategies to identify which approaches may be transferable across global contexts.