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One Great Idea: Tom Kline, Attorney

My one great idea for Philadelphia is to get Philadelphia back moving, and that means building things - building buildings, building infrastructure, and building anything that we can.

"My one great idea for Philadelphia is to get Philadelphia back moving, and that means building things - building buildings, building infrastructure, and building anything that we can.

"We need to convince both Philadelphians and outsiders that this is a great place to work, to live, and, most important, for them to invest in. One good thing brings another good thing. ... When a block goes bad, it goes bad because there's nothing going on on the block. And when a block becomes good, it becomes good because someone has taken the initiative - someone has said, 'I am going to start something good.' Look at Northern Liberties: One large attraction like the Piazza creates a magnet.

"We need to keep people in the city and bring people back to the city. And the only formula to do that ... is to create jobs, so that jobs in turn can create prosperity, and so prosperity in turn can create a good place to live and work.

"We need to see, as I like to say it, the prettiest bird on the face of the planet flying over Philadelphia: lots of cranes."

One reader's idea:

"As a SEPTA rider, I see people every day waiting for the bus throw their trash out onto the street at 12th and Market, and it blows around one of our densest tourist areas. I've seen this at stops all over the city as well.

"I'm not suggesting that there is a lack of trash cans, because there are two within 10 steps of the stop. However, if SEPTA and the city worked together to add trash cans at the stations, they could spread the cost and responsibility across departments.

"I always hate when outsiders call our city dirty, but after recent trips to San Francisco and New York City, [I can see] we are so far and away dirtier, and that's not what we're about."

The Inquirer and Philly.com have launched a 45-week project to inspire Philadelphians to suggest great ideas for the city and region.

In our "One Great Idea" project, we're asking well-known and less-known people of our region to tell us their single great idea to change Philadelphia. These video interviews will run on Philly.com each Tuesday and on The Inquirer's Wednesday commentary pages.

Post comments, vote on this idea, or share your own great idea at www.philly.com/OneGreatIdea, or write to inquirer.letters@phillynews.com.