With a star studded lineup, Next City will this evening bring Ed Bacon back to the fore with a discussion titled “Revisiting Ed Bacon’s Legacy and the Future of Planning in Philly.” Featuring Greg Heller, whose biography Ed Bacon: Planning, Politics, and the Building of Modern Philadelphia Nathaniel Popkin reviewed for Hidden City, and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Alan Greenberger, the discussion will be moderated by Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron. (Saffron also reviewed Heller’s book, archived online HERE.)

At a time when cranes litter the skyline and the price of real estate has ballooned even in once ‘marginal’ neighborhoods, planning the city’s future has not been so poignant since perhaps the urban renewal which forged Bacon’s legacy. It’s sure to be among the topics of discussion, which will also include the City’s ongoing Philadelphia2035 plan.

The event is in the Fleisher Art Memorial sanctuary, 711 Catharine Street in Bella Vista, from 5:30–7 this evening.