Environmental Challenges We Face

Center City West faces growing environmental challenges. Climate change is making the weather warmer and wetter. Greater frequency of heavy storms means that Center City’s combined sewer and stormwater management systems are more frequently overwhelmed, sending untreated sewage and polluted runoff into waterways.  Warmer weather is exacerbating the urban heat island effect. As a result, areas of Philadelphia are as much as ten degrees warmer than outlying neighborhoods. In addition to these climate impacts, heavy automobile traffic results in Center City’s having the highest rate of air pollution in Philadelphia. Click below to read more about air pollution in Center City, combined sewer overflows and urban heat island effect.