A new feature of the Mayor’s Office, #PhillyMayorThisWeek takes a look at the past week and recaps five moments you might’ve missed.

This week, we look at news about the long anticipated Viaduct Rail Park project, a meeting Mayor Kenney had with civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, a pre-K roundtable with local and national leaders, Philadelphia’s new sustainability plan, and the monthly #AskKenney Twitter chat.

1. Mayor Kenney met with civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis.

At the Free Library’s Cecil B. Moore neighborhood library, the Mayor met Lewis to talk about the congressman’s trilogy, “March.” During their chat, they also talked about Rebuild, the initiative to invest in all of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods by improving our parks, rec centers, and libraries. At one particularly moving moment, 13-year-old Nocqui Howard spoke with Lewis. KYW Newsradio’s Molly Daly reported on the encounter, with Howard thanking Lewis for sharing his experiences. For his part, Lewis thanked Howard for being there and told him, “Stay in school, right? And learn as much as you can learn, and you can be what you want to be.”

2. Local and state leaders officially broke ground on the long anticipated Viaduct Rail Park.

Together with city and state leaders, Mayor Kenney helped officially break ground on phase one of the the Viaduct Rail Park. William Bender of the Daily News reported that the occasion started “the conversion of the former Reading Co. railroad viaduct into a 25,000-square-foot linear park. Think green space, lighting, walking paths, and swinging benches.” The project has been a dream for Philadelphians, including many grassroots supporters who tirelessly advocated for the park’s creation.

3. Local and national leaders gathered for a roundtable on quality pre-K hosted by PCCY and the United Way.

Mayor Kenney joined U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Governor Tom Wolf, state Rep. Dwight Evans, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite, and other advocates and experts for a roundtable discussion on pre-K. At the discussion, Pelosi praised Philadelphia’s expansion of pre-K occurring under Mayor Kenney’s leadership. Avi Wolfman-Arent of Newsworks reported that Pelosi observed, “Something great is happening in Philadelphia when it comes to pre-K.”

4. The City launched the new Greenworks Sustainability Plan.

Atop the green roof at the Parkway Central Free Library (the first green roof on a City-owned building in Philadelphia), Mayor Kenney outlined his Administration’s plan for a healthier, greener Philadelphia. “The goal of our Administration is to ensure that every Philadelphian — no matter what neighborhood they live in — is able to thrive and succeed.” The Philadelphia Inquirer also published a guest oped from the Mayor on the plan. Greenworks focuses on eight key areas with an overall focus on environmental equity across all of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. You can read the full plan online here.

5. Mayor Kenney took constituent questions as part of the monthly #AskKenney Twitter chat.

Questions this month ranged from the Mayor’s thoughts on early voting (he supports it), what was currently in his coffee cup (the remnants of a cappuccino), how to apply for City jobs (online or in-person at 311’s walk-in center), and the City’s plan for its homeless residents during the winter.

Be sure to follow the Mayor’s Office on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and events about City programs and initiatives and developments in the Kenney Administration!