You live or work in the city, and sometimes you need a car. But you don't want all the hassles of owning one. So you join PhillyCarShare. You get a personal key to hundreds of cars parked steps from your office and home. For just a few bucks per hour, now you shop at Ikea with a pickup, get fresh groceries in a Prius, meet clients in a BMW, go "down the shore" in a Mini convertible -- you name it! You sell your car and keep your freedom. You even sign up your company and make your boss feel very smart.

You save time, the environment, and tons of money

In 2003 we were inspired. We were inspired by the City of Philadelphia, City Council and Mayor John Street when they said, “Here's 2.5 acres, now go make a skatepark.” We talked to our neighbors and friends, community leaders, and an architect. What was imagined was not a skatepark. It was a park, for everyone, that just happens to be skateboard friendly. So that's where we started. We got approval from the Art Commission and the Fairmount Park Commission and pushed on to seek further momentum through donations from legislators, businesses and individuals. Together we are building a piece of the Philadelphia of tomorrow.

At The Next American City, we try to conceive realistic solutions about how to make life better; about how to ensure that future generations’ lives aren’t made more dangerous or unnecessarily complicated by the decisions we make.

Described by The New York Times as a “subtle plan to change the world,” The Next American City is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the transformation of cities and suburbs through a quarterly magazine, events across the country, and op-eds in major newspapers. We examine how and why our built environment, economy, society and culture are changing.