Ideally completed by Monday October 18th / Due with the Midterm October 29th

Based on your initial survey of the city you're working with, what are the core issues?

To determine this, look at climate action plans, peer-reviewed articles, what offices and programs can be found in your local government? You should also look at what NGOs are working on and community groups.

Pick three core issues and write 150-500 words about each. If you only feel comfortable identifying one issue, fine; but this would be a red flag in mind and you might want to come to talk to me about it. You can also write about more than three core issues if you. Keep in mind this is designed as short assignment, a quick memo. But if you want to make it more elaborate, that is fine too! Whatever is useful.

This is a short assignment. Like 1-2 pages. Write about 150-500 words on each issue. You should identify at least three issues.

In your write-ups for each issue you might:

• Describe the core issue
• Explain how you learned about it
• Does it link to other issues?
• Does it impact certain population groups more than others?

There are lots of things you can say; ask me if you want more ideas or are feeling stuck!

For Philadelphia, I would probably say the top three core issues ar:

1. Stormwater management
2. Summer heat index
3. Poverty

(a close fourth would be aged housing stock and a fifth would be lack of emergency preparedness)

Folks at various local orgs would probably disagree with me and say, transportation infrastructure and city air pollution or food insecurity.

I tend to think that core issues are related to critical infrastructure. But core issues might be... government or an inept government. It's your project 😉