Julia Lowe, Author at Grid Magazine

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Julia Lowe
#190 March 2025/News

Philadelphia-based startup brings the cobbler industry into the 21st century

For Philadelphia startup Coblr, reducing consumption is more than just the latest social media trend: empowering consumers to repair rather than buy new is their entire mission. Cofounded by Emily Watts and Leslie Bateman in 2023, Coblr’s online store offers mail-in repair services for a variety of footwear and leather goods. Watts and Bateman, who

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March 1, 2025
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Several key Philadelphia projects are now in limbo Several key Philadelphia projects are now in limbo due to Trump’s federal funding freezes. Those impacted? The Philly Tree Plan, Schuylkill River Trail expansion, and EV charging network infrastructure buildout. ➡️ Learn more at gridphilly.com #philadelphia #sustainability #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalissues #politics
SEPTA wants to go zero emissions by 2040. Will the SEPTA wants to go zero emissions by 2040. Will their newly unveiled Zero Emission Bus Program get them there? ➡️ Learn more at gridphilly.com #philadelphia #electricvehicle #electricvehicles #publictransportation #sustainabletransportation #cleanenergy
🍰 What became “The Year of the Cake” starte 🍰 What became “The Year of the Cake” started innocently enough. In October 2023, Sandi Pierantozzi and her husband, Neil Patterson, ordered a slice of pistachio torte from a bakery in Sicily. It was love at first bite. The couple returned to the shop each of the five days they spent in Taormina, always savoring the torte and other freshly-baked pastries featuring pistachios harvested from the shop owner’s family farm. Pierantozzi set herself the challenge of replicating that beautiful, nut-studded, not-too-sweet cake back home in their Fairmount kitchen. Baking was not entirely new to Pierantozzi. Growing up in Roxborough, she had baked bread and focaccia with her mother. She remembers that her mom always had a homemade cake on hand, housed on a glass cake stand protected from snacking children by a metal dome. But cake baking was not Pierantozzi’s thing. She has perfected countless variations of biscotti, Christmas pizzelles and an annual carrot cake for her husband’s birthday. Making 2024 “The Year of the Cake” has sent her on an exciting new baking adventure. ➡️ Read the full story (pistachio torte recipe included!) at gridphilly.com ✍️ Marilyn Anthony 📸 Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #baker #baking #bakingchallenge #recipe #recipeoftheday
👞 For Philadelphia startup Coblr, reducing cons 👞 For Philadelphia startup Coblr, reducing consumption is more than just the latest social media trend: empowering consumers to repair rather than buy new is their entire mission. Cofounded by Emily Watts and Leslie Bateman in 2023, Coblr’s online store offers mail-in repair services for a variety of footwear and leather goods. Watts and Bateman, who are based in Boston, met in 2022 and bonded over a shared love of repair. As frequent secondhand shoppers and cobbler patrons, they grew frustrated by a decline in options and accessibility in the repair industry. “It’s hard to find repair people, not just shoe repair, but tailors and specialty artisans,” says Watts. “And then, once you do, it’s an industry that has been untouched by technology.” With their experience at technology startups — Watts was the COO of employee scheduling app Sling until it was acquired by Toast, while Bateman spent a few years at Uber — the pair brought Bateman’s “crazy idea” to start an online repair business to life. After securing a partnership with a cobbler in Boston, they launched coblrshop.com. Now headquartered in Philadelphia, the business was named “Most Innovative Fashion & Apparel Reuse Company” at the 2024 Reusies. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Julia Lowe 📸 Photo courtesy of Coblr #philadelphia #waste #reducewaste #sustainabilitymatters #repair #repairservice
Events happening in and around Philadelphia this w Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend! ➡️ Craft Supply Swap at STITCH AND DESTROY: Love crafting but hate the waste? Too many art supplies?? Visit STITCH AND DESTROY for their first Craft Supply Swap. Give, take and swap your pre-loved or unused art and craft supplies, and become inspired to make more art! When: Saturday, March 22nd (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Where: STITCH AND DESTROY 523 South 4th Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 ➡️ UC Green x Tiny Trekkers PHL Women’s History Month Trail Walk: Join UC Green x Tiny Trekkers for a healing walk in nature to celebrate Women’s History Month! When: Saturday, March 22nd (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Where: Whitby Meadows 5922 Whitby Ave Philadelphia, PA 19143 ➡️ Women’s History Month Open House at Founder’s Hall: In honor of Women’s History Month, join us at our March Open House as we highlight the contributions of women at Girard. Find out how the Pennsylvaia ERA led to Girard College becoming co-ed. Learn about our amazing alumnae, as well the women who have shaped Girard since 1848. When: Saturday, March 22nd (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) Where: Founders Hall at Girard College 2101 South College Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19121 #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #shopphilly #phillynews #philadelphianews #eventsinphilly #phillyevents #phillyevent #philadelphiaevents
📚 A half dozen three- and fouryear- olds wave “adios!” to their moms and younger siblings, then pile into the little bus, “el Busesito,” parked on a street corner in Frankford. Inside the 24-foot van, repurposed as a mobile preschool classroom, the Spanish-speaking children grab puzzles, blocks, stuffed animals, papers and crayons and settle on a rug patterned with trees and animals in vibrant colors. Begun in 2023 by Xiente, a North Philly grassroots nonprofit, the Busesito is an outgrowth of the bilingual preschool programs at Xiente’s Escuelita (little school), formerly the Children’s Center. The school’s curriculum has earned four stars — the highest rating — from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, but it serves only certain zip codes. The Busesito, modeled after a program for lower-income Spanish-speaking families in Colorado, allows Xiente to cast a wider net of early learning. “The Busesito gets children ready for kindergarten,” says Sarah Clemency, the lead teacher, program coordinator and bus driver, explaining that there’s often a gap between what children from low-income areas know and what’s expected of them in kindergarten. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Constance Garcia-Barrio 📸 Solmaira Valerio #philadelphia #education #educationmatters #educationforall #earlychildhoodeducation #prek
♻️ I started Bennett Compost 16 years ago with ♻️ I started Bennett Compost 16 years ago with the goal of making composting easy and accessible for Philadelphians. From the moment we started, people asked, “When do you think Philly will offer composting to every household like trash and recycling?” I used to say, “Ten years at the earliest.” Sixteen years later, my answer hasn’t changed. It doesn’t have to be this way. Composting has been happening in West Coast cities like San Francisco and Seattle for 20 years, and East Coast cities like New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., have launched citywide drop-off programs, large-scale pilots or full-scale curbside programs in the last decade. So, Philly, what gives? ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Tim Bennett 📸 Jordan Teicher #compost #composting #foodwaste #zerofoodwaste #zerowaste #sustainability
🚮 We’ve all had the frustrating experience of 🚮 We’ve all had the frustrating experience of seeing a plastic bag caught in a tree or a plastic bottle lying in the gutter. We’ve seen the jarring images of seabirds caught in six-pack rings or turtles with straws up their noses. Sadly, these images shouldn’t be surprising. Over 35 million tons of plastic waste is discarded every year in the United States, but less than 6% gets recycled. Almost all of the plastic we use ends up in a landfill, burned in an incinerator or — worse — littered directly in our environment. Last month, Montgomery County’s Abington Township passed a ban on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene foam plates, cups and containers. Abington is the first Pennsylvania municipality to pass a plastic bag ban in 2025, and, excitingly, the Keystone State has reached a tipping point: 20% of the state’s residents now live where a ban on plastic bags is in place. That’s incredible progress, especially considering that just five years ago the state legislature attempted to make it illegal for Pennsylvania’s municipalities to ban plastic bags. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Faran Savitz #philadelphia #waste #wastemanagement #zerowaste #reducewaste #wastefreeliving #plasticbags #plasticbagban
🚌 Last year, SEPTA officially retired its last 🚌 Last year, SEPTA officially retired its last diesel-powered bus, evidence of a long-term commitment to sustainability. Currently, all of SEPTA’s 1,400-strong fleet consists of diesel-electric hybrid buses, which have lower emissions than their diesel counterparts. This year, SEPTA has ordered 10 new buses with hydrogen fuel cell drivetrains (FCEBs) as part of a pilot program investing in full electrification and zero emission buses. Next year SEPTA will start testing battery electric buses (BEBs), which operate using large lithium ion batteries similar to the consumer EVs seen in increasing numbers. So how do these two newer technologies stack up compared to traditional diesel and diesel hybrids? And, how might they stack up against each other? ➡️ View the full infographic at gridphilly.com ✍️ + ✏️ Bryan Satalino #philadelphia #electricvehicle #electricvehicles #publictransportation #sustainabletransportation #cleanenergy
🚜 Sustainable agriculture projects on 143 farms 🚜 Sustainable agriculture projects on 143 farms in the mid-Atlantic region have ground to a halt after a climate resiliency grant was paused by the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze. The Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Pasa is administering a $59 million United States Department of Agriculture grant to develop climate-smart practices and increase revenue streams to hundreds of farms across 15 states. But Pasa’s executive director, Hannah Smith-Brubaker, says that the sustainable agriculture organization has lost access to those funds and is out of money to disburse to farmers who have begun projects. “We didn’t want any of our farmers to not get reimbursed for their expenses, so we used our last $500,000 from that [grant money disbursed in advance of the quarter] to make sure that all of our farmers were made whole who were owed any money,” she says. That doesn’t account, however, for more than 650 other farms with projects either shovel-ready or in the contract procurement process that now cannot move forward with plans, according to an impact statement from Pasa. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue 📸 Photo courtesy of Pittsburgher Highland Farm #philadelphia #agriculture #urbanfarming #urbanfarmers #sustainableagriculture #supportfarmers
Events happening in and around Philadelphia this w Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend! ➡️ Raise Up: Learn how to Raise money for your Non-Profit without grants from local fundraising professionals. When: Saturday, March 15th (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Where: Masterminds Daycare Center 6154 Ridge Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19128 ➡️ A Deeply Rooted Trolley Tour by Harriett’s Bookshop: A deeply rooted Trolley Tour is our three hour, hop on-hop off tour that celebrates local food, culture, history, music, and deeply rooted tradition by visiting new and seasoned spaces throughout Philadelphia. When: Saturday, March 15th (11:00 AM or 3:00 PM) Where: Harriett’s Bookshop 258 East Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19125 ➡️ Now + Then Marketplace’s Late Blooming Lovers Market: Love really did hurt this Valentine’s Day after we had to cancel our annual Make Love Market, because in this city, we’re eagles fans first and lovers second. If you’re like us and blooming a little late in celebrating love this year, we invite you to join us at Love Park for a Late Blooming Lovers Market. When: Saturday, March 15th (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Where: JFK Plaza (Love Park) Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #shopphilly #phillynews #philadelphianews #eventsinphilly #phillyevents #phillyevent #philadelphiaevents
Expanding electric vehicle infrastructure isn’t Expanding electric vehicle infrastructure isn’t the only Philadelphia initiative that’s taking a hit from the Trump administration’s halt to federal funding, the ultimate ramifications of which are being worked out in courts across the nation. Key projects tackling climate change, public health and even the City’s program to eliminate traffic deaths are now in limbo, awaiting word on how to continue. We’ve compiled updates on projects from: 1️⃣ Philadelphia Parks & Recreation | Goal: Restore Philadelphia’s tree canopy through the 2023 Tree Plan 2️⃣ PA Flax Project | Goal: Reestablish the state’s fiber flax industry 3️⃣ Schuylkill River Development Corporation and Philadelphia Department of Streets | Goal: Close critical gaps in the Schuylkill River Trail 4️⃣ The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers | Goal: Train underserved, overburdened communities Learn more at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue #philadelphia #sustainability #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalissues #politics
🚨 JOB OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Circular Philadelphia 🚨 JOB OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Circular Philadelphia is seeking an Executive Director to drive its next phase of growth as it builds the organization’s capacity and impact, and expand its role as a leader in Philadelphia’s circular economy. Circular Philadelphia’s next leader will: • Increase the visibility and credibility of CP’s impact in and for the city • Increase Circular Philadelphia’s funding, solidify the funding model, and increase memberships/sponsorships, • Ensure the circular economy serves the entire city through the creation of an environmental justice framework for our work and engagement with Black and Brown communities, and • Grow staff capacity ➡️ Visit https://tinyurl.com/CP-job-openings to learn more and apply #philadelphia #phillyjobs #circularphiladelphia
When president Donald Trump signed an executive or When president Donald Trump signed an executive order to halt federal spending on January 27, its impacts hit close to home. Despite the decision being rescinded two days later, the fate of funding for environmental work remains murky due to the vague language and unclear legality of the sweeping order. It left sustainability-focused groups, including the Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council, unsure of what’s to come, whether their work can continue and if previously agreed-upon contracts will be fulfilled. As of February 24, federal funding due to Pennsylvania was restored after Governor Josh Shapiro sued the administration, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Yet leaders like Clean Air Council’s executive director Alex Bomstein are still concerned for the future of their work. Bomstein sat down with Grid on February 6 to explain what it has actually been like for the nonprofit — which focuses on protecting and preserving air and water quality, public health, environmental justice and clean energy and transportation — to weather the decisions made in Washington. ➡️ Read the full interview at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue 📸 Photo courtesy of Clean Air Council #philadelphia #sustainability #environment #environmentalpolicy #environmentalissues #politics
📝 Publisher’s Notes: Speak Up 📝 Grid is a 📝 Publisher’s Notes: Speak Up 📝 Grid is a monthly magazine, so we are not equipped to report news. Sure, we occasionally cover some stories as they happen, but mostly we stay away from breaking stories — especially national news. However, the dramatic changes at the federal level deserve at least some commentary. I think just about every Trump-related story can fall into one of three buckets. First is the consolidation of power. President Trump has systematically removed, or attempted to remove, every mechanism our government has to prevent autocratic rule. If he has his way, which is a very distinct possibility, his power will be unchecked and without balance. The Great Experiment of a government based on democratic principles is on the ropes. ➡️ Read the full note from our publisher at gridphilly.com ✍️ Alex Mulcahy #philadelphia #politics #socialjustice #climatechange #diversity #diversitymatters
🐝 There aren’t as many American bumble bees ( 🐝 There aren’t as many American bumble bees (Bombus pensylvanicus) as there used to be in the state the insect is named after. The big black and yellow bees are in decline, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature rating the species as vulnerable. Although the American bumble bee might need protection in Pennsylvania, there is currently no government agency able to coordinate its conservation, or that of any other land-dwelling invertebrate (animal without a backbone). This could change if legislation introduced by Chester County State Representative Chris Pielli becomes law. House Bill 441 would task the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) with conserving and protecting Pennsylvania’s “wild native terrestrial invertebrates.” DCNR would also be required to investigate the status of these invertebrates to determine whether they need protection. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Bernard Brown 📸 Photo courtesy of USDA #philadelphia #endangered #endangeredspecies #bees #bumblebees #savethebees
🌳 Twelve million federal dollars granted to Phi 🌳 Twelve million federal dollars granted to Philadelphia’s tree canopy expansion efforts are caught in the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze, officials said at a City Council hearing on Wednesday, March 5. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson told Councilmember Jamie Gauthier that the department does not have access to the funds. PPR declined further comment. The money was allotted for the city’s Tree Plan, which ambitiously aims to expand each Philadelphia neighborhood’s tree canopy to 30% in 10 years, Grid reported. It came from a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. The project joins a growing list of environmental departments and organizations in the region that have lost access to funds after the federal funding freeze. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue 📸 Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #treecanopy #urbantrees #plantmoretrees #urbanecology #politics
Events happening in and around Philadelphia this w Events happening in and around Philadelphia this weekend! ➡️ First Fridays: Welcome to First Fridays at Velojawn Bike Shop! Join us for a fun-filled evening of live music, food, and good vibes. Don’t miss out on the chance to kick off your weekend in style! When: Friday, March 7th (6:00 PM - 11:00 PM) Where: The Velojawn Bike Shop 3946 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19104 ➡️ Art and Climate Change Educator Workshop: How have artists sought harmony with the environment? How can art help us reimagine our relationship to the natural world? In anticipation of Earth Day 2025, we will explore these questions—and ask others—through close-looking in the galleries as well as an art making activity with a focus on organic materials. When: Saturday, March 8th (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM) Where: Philadelphia Museum of Art 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy Philadelphia, PA 19130 ➡️ 2025 Philly Bike Expo: Mark your calendars, the Philly Bike Expo celebrates the bicycle like no one else! Now in its 14th year, the Expo offers inspiration, information, and entertainment to cycling aficionados and novices alike. Held at the PA Convention Center, the Expo features exhibits by artisans and manufacturers from around the country and the world, demos, workshops, seminars and kids activities that include a spacious indoor test-ride area. Rides, food, and parties round out the fun-filled weekend. When: Saturday, March 8th (10:00 AM - 5:00 PM) - Sunday, March 9th (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM) Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center 1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 #philadelphia #philly #phillysupportphilly #shopphilly #phillynews #philadelphianews #eventsinphilly #phillyevents #phillyevent #philadelphiaevents
🔌 Over the past year, Philadelphia has received 🔌 Over the past year, Philadelphia has received over $21 million in federal funding to expand its electric vehicle charging network. EV ownership has boomed in the city — the number of registrations increased from 475 in 2018 to 5,870 in 2023, according to PennDOT — but there are too few charging stations to meet demand. With the help of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the City aims to install EV chargers in underserved neighborhoods, plus a charging hub at the Philadelphia International Airport. These plans are likely already under contract, according to a February 6 email from Zachary Appleby, PennDOT’s deputy communications director. The City also has plans to add 200 charging ports in City- and Philadelphia Parking Authority-owned lots. Additionally, the legislation funds a training program for EV supplies and equipment workers called Plug In Philly, a partnership between the City and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 to expand the industry’s clean jobs workforce. Yet the future of these projects is now uncertain after the Trump administration, which shows a continued hostility toward climate-focused initiatives, froze and then unfroze federal spending on grants. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Gabriel Donahue 📸 Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #electricvehicle #electricvehicles #electricvehiclecharging #sustainabletransportation #politics
🚐 As climate change caused flooding and extreme 🚐 As climate change caused flooding and extreme heat in the region and elsewhere, Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration set its sights on reducing Philly’s emissions. Before the pandemic, the City of Philadelphia operated a fleet of approximately 5,500 vehicles — everything from sedans and SUVs to street sweepers and garbage trucks. These spewed over 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. Then, in 2021, the City released its first plan to electrify its light- and medium-duty fleet over the course of the following decade. If every benchmark were hit, its vehicle operation-related emissions would drop by 42.7%. There are now 300 light-duty electric vehicles in use in the City’s departments, up from just 34 when the transition was first announced. That translates into an estimated 670 tons of carbon dioxide saved. But, while these reductions are on track to meet the 2030 goals, they represent only a little over 1% of the City’s total. ➡️ Read the full story at gridphilly.com ✍️ Allison Beck 📸 Chris Baker Evens #philadelphia #electricvehicle #electricvehicles #sustainabletransportation #emissions #reduceemissions
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