PHILADELPHIA WATER SUMMIT Imagining Clean Water Futures
On March 7, 2018, Habithèque joined forces with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to host the inaugural Philadelphia Water Summit—a gathering that explored scientific, policy, and design paths toward water as an essential human right. This forum brought together visionaries and changemakers to imagine cleaner, more resilient water systems for Philadelphia and beyond.
What It Was About
The summit connected deeply with Philadelphia’s legacy of ecological innovation, from the Green City, Clean Waters program to the heritage of the Fairmount Water Works. It was held during the Philadelphia Flower Show, offering both a public platform and a bridge between scientific discourse, civic engagement, and cultural institutions. Topics ranged from urban stormwater management and ecosystem restoration to environmental justice and access to clean water.
What Was Shared
Presentations & Talks: Full sessions were recorded and made available to the public.
Slides & Resources: PDF slides of the presentations made the knowledge accessible for reference and education.
Why It Matters
This Summit was more than an event — it was a catalyst. It reinforced how art, science, policy, and community can intersect to address water equity and sustainability. It celebrated Philadelphia’s historical and current role in watershed restoration and civic infrastructure for clean water. It laid groundwork for future collaborations and inspired action among municipal leaders, environmental organizations, and citizens.
Even though the Summit was held in 2018, its ripple effects continue. The conversations sparked there help to inform ongoing projects like riverfront learning trails, habitat restoration, and public engagement around water.
All presentations from the 2018 Philadelphia Water summit are on Vimeo.
Presentation slides are available as a pdf
