Plan Philly
- Plan Philly interviews the winning team for this year’s Edmund Bacon student competition, which asked young urban planners to re-envision the I-95 corridor. René Biberstein and Clara Romero’s plan calls for a diverse set of approaches for the highway’s transformation, in keeping with Philly’s image of the city of neighborhoods. The University of Toronto duo’s design respects, as they say, “the desire for each neighbourhood of the city to reach eastward, and to produce a waterfront of distinct segments.”
- Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez has introduced a bill that would create a central land bank comprising all the vacant parcels currently in the possession of various city agencies. The land bank—to be headed by a seven-member board to be decided by mayoral appointment—would streamline the process that currently “stymies potential buyers and developers.”
- Newsworks reports that some 300 local business, government, and nonprofit leaders met last night to discuss how best to ensure that Philadelphia is regarded as a “world class” city by 2026. Philly needs to emulate Silicon Valley, stressed Steve Wray, the Executive Director of the Economy League.
- Philadelphia Neighborhoods reviews Mount Airy’s Earth Bread + Brewery restaurant on Germantown Avenue and its community driven, sustainable ethos. “Why would you have a business in a neighborhood,” asks owner Peggy Zwerver, “and not support the people around it?”
About the author
Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.
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