After the February 21st Round Robin, the Public Policy Challenge 2011 staff team at the Fels Institute of Government set to work reviewing scoring sheets and placing teams in ranking order according to how feasible and effective our Round Robin judges deemed each project.
Along with Fels Executive Director David Thornburgh, the PPC 2.0 staff is excited to announce that the following five teams will advance on to Round II of the Public Policy Challenge 2011, which will involve one last workshop with time for one-on-one project feedback from with two Philadelphia-area policy practitioners, a quick dry-run presentation rehearsal, and of course, presenting at the Public Policy Challenge Finals on March 20th at the National Constitution Center.
Listed in alphabetical order, these teams will be taking this competition to the next level:
Team FairHealth Philadelphia
Daniel Bernick, Joanna Chae, David Wengert
To increase price transparency in health care, FairHealth Philadelphia has developed a four-step plan that will ultimately lower costs and increase fairness in Philadelphia’s health care system. Capitalizing on current infrastructure and federal health reform mandates, FairHealth’s proposal will make it simple for health care consumers to determine the out-of-pocket cost for office visits and non-emergency procedures before they choose providers. Predicated on the idea that health care providers must compete on both quality and cost, this plan will reduce the cost of health care in the Philadelphia region and benefit those making difficult decisions about their health and well-being.
Team Impact Gardens
Amanda Garlen, Rachel Meadows, Anne Misak, Samantha Porter
Vacant lots in Philadelphia are an often-discussed problem among city policymakers, because they are not just eyesores – they’re frequently used illegally as sites for prostitution, drug deals, and other crimes. Impact Gardens envisions launching a pilot program aimed at transforming these abandoned properties into a network of community gardens used for community development, agricultural education, farmers’ markets, and other neighborhood-focused programs.
Team SubWalk Philly
Molly Cherington, Dylan Hayden
Have you ever visited the dark, dank, empty, and – let’s face it – downright ugly Broad Street Concourse in Center City? Team SubWalk Philly wants to transform this blighted concrete underground labyrinth into a viable, vibrant, transit-oriented business district. Their plan is segmented out in phases, and it would ultimately result in development of rentable plots for mobile businesses, a performance amphitheatre, park-style benches, and a venue for local artists to display their work.
Team Virtual Market Philly
Rachel Cahill, Jennifer Ralston, Natalie Robles, Lise Wagnac
Inspired by an innovative effort to increase access to fresh, healthy food within the “food deserts” in Baltimore, this project involves the creation of a virtual supermarket, or online grocery store, bringing convenience and affordable prices of traditional grocery stores to “food deserts” in Philadelphia.
Team WalkPhilly
Karla Sainz, Jennifer Kerner, Marissa Litman, Cassandra McLeod
This project is aimed at enhancing quality of life for Philadelphia’s senior citizens by getting the ball rolling on development of an “aging in place” strategy for the city’s policymakers. Team WalkPhilly would like to identify a 20-to-30 block stretch of the city in which there is a dense senior citizen population and a strong need for walkability improvements. By leveraging various strategic partnerships, their project would result in a survey and a series of workshops targeted towards developing policy proposals that would make these neighborhoods easier for Philadelphia’s senior citizens to lead active, mobile, functional lives.
Shop Talk at Workshop #2
