Imagining Philadelphia’s Future: The Plans and the Realities

Greater Philadelphia Roundtable:  What does it take to create change (social, political, community, civic) in Philadelphia?  Who has the vision, the power, and the resources?  What is gained or lost in the process?  Panelists at this roundtable focused on the past, present, and future of city planning, from the days of Edmund Bacon to casinos, the waterfront, and the future of I-95.  The dialogue will help shape the content of the Encyclopedia.  Featuring Scott Knowles, editor and co-author of Imagining Philadelphia: Edmund Bacon and the Future of the City, and a panel including Harris Steinberg of PennPraxis; Craig Schelter of Schelter & Associates; and Jethro Heiko, Strategic Organizing Director, The Action Mill; and Spencer Finch, Director of Sustainable Development, Pennsylvania Environmental Council.  Facilitator:  Ariel Ben-Amos, Young Involved Philadelphia. This program was supported in part by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities’ We the People initiative on American History.   It was cosponsored by The Academy of Natural Sciences Center for Environmental Policy and has been made possible through the generous donations of the William Penn Foundation and the Environmental Associates of the Academy.  Also cosponsored by Young Involved Philadelphia, PennPraxis, PlanPhilly, and the Great Works Symposium, Drexel University. To add your thoughts to the discussion, follow the links to any segment of the posted program summaries. Watch video of this event on WHYY.com.

Connecting the Past with the Present, Building Community, Creating a Legacy