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After planting vegetables in their so-called “garden oasis,” Safiyah Abdul Latif and her friends love to relax with a cup of tea under the pergola at the Jannatain Garden in Nicetown.

Now, the neighbors can enjoy the lush community green space and its cozy fireplace after the sun sets. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has installed two solar-powered streetlights around the garden, and on corners across Philadelphia’s Nicetown-Tioga section.

Abdul Latif, who helps run Jannatain Garden, recalled the first time she caught sight of the motion-censored street lights, which gradually illuminated the hideaway with each step she took.

“It was just a little dim light, and I said, ‘Oh, this is not going to work.’ As I walked toward the light, the whole area lit up. I was just amazed that it gave off such lighting, especially being solar,” she said.
Safiyah Abdul Latif says the new solar streetlights makes the neighborhood feel safer. (Zoë Read/WHYY)

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society installed 13 solar streetlights last month as part of a pilot program to help increase safety and deter people from dumping trash near vacant lots in Nicetown-Tioga. The organization cares for more than 10,000 vacant lots across the city as part of a contract with the city.

The new solar lights aim to take pressure off the electric grid and reduce the community’s carbon footprint. The sun-powered streetlights cost about $2,000 each up front, but have no running costs, remain reliable during power outages and use bulbs that last longer than those in traditional streetlights.