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Stuart Weitzman School of Design
Monument Lab app expands space and time at Art Museum steps
Monument Lab app expands space and time at Art Museum steps
OverTime, a new augmented reality app that weds public art and history in a personal visual format gives users access to interactive, self-guided tours of public spaces, and invites users to add stories of their own.
The power of architecture to address public health and environmental crises
The power of architecture to address public health and environmental crises
Two new studies, one on UV sterilization in occupied rooms and another on radiative cooling, show how architecture can help create interior spaces that are both COVID-safe and energy-efficient.
Vincent Reina on fair housing in the U.S., in the city, and in pandemic times
Vincent Reina on fair housing in the U.S., in the city, and in pandemic times
The expert in fair housing and urban planning discusses how cities can address low-income housing policy, neighborhood change, and community and economic development, and how the pandemic has made inequities even more visible.
New campus buildings to house centers for innovation and collaboration
New campus buildings to house centers for innovation and collaboration
Several new facilities, including Tangen Hall and the Academic Research Building, have finished construction and the University is eyeing opening dates. Penn Today provides an overview.
Planning for Pennsylvania Hospital’s next 250 years
Planning for Pennsylvania Hospital’s next 250 years
PennPraxis, the consulting and community engagement arm of the Weitzman School, will produce plans for the Hospital’s Conservation Management Plan to upgrade the building, grounds, and collections.
Alumna Jessica Vaughn examines workplace space and culture in ICA solo exhibition
Alumna Jessica Vaughn examines workplace space and culture in ICA solo exhibition
Artist and Weitzman School of Design alumna Jessica Vaughn examines the spaces and culture of the American workplace in her first major solo exhibition, now on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art.
‘Research at Penn’ showcases University breakthroughs and innovations
‘Research at Penn’ showcases University breakthroughs and innovations
Produced by the Provost’s Office, the brochure highlights groundbreaking research from each of Penn’s 12 schools. This year it is online-only.
Working at the intersection of data science and public policy
Working at the intersection of data science and public policy
Ken Steif’s new book, “Public Policy Analytics: Code & Context for Data Science in Government,” available online and in print, provides guidance for how governments and policymakers can use data and algorithms to solve complex service-delivery problems.
James Corner elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters
James Corner elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters
The professor emeritus and renowned landscape architect and urban designer has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, widely considered the highest form of recognition of artistic merit in the United States.
Energy and water autonomy for off-grid waterfront floating structures
Energy and water autonomy for off-grid waterfront floating structures
The Thermal Architecture Lab at the Weitzman School is part of a collaboration to develop energy and water autonomous systems for off-grid floating structures that are designed to adapt to rising waters.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Testing how navigable SEPTA is, with glasses that see what riders see
Megan Ryerson of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design is leading an experiment that is using high-tech glasses to assess the navigability of Philadelphia’s public transit system. “I think of it as epidemiology for navigation,” she said.
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Los Angeles Times
Landlords are waiting for rent payments—and some can’t hold on much longer
A survey conducted by Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design found that property owners are dealing with late rent payments and trouble filling vacancies amid the pandemic, challenging their ability to pay mortgages, property taxes, and maintenance expenses.
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ABC News
Despite coronavirus relief dollars, many still waiting for rental aid to arrive
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design said some states’ federal rental-assistance programs are hiring extra staff and simplifying applications in order to meet demand. Still, he said, “There's only so efficient you can get when you’re requiring people to submit documents.”
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Philly Council changes mixed-income housing bonus rules for Southwest Center City
Vincent Reina and grad student Camille Boggan of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about a recent amendment to a zoning bill that would exempt developers in the 19146 zip code, a rapidly gentrifying area, from the option to pay into Philadelphia’s Housing Trust Fund instead of offering affordable units in new buildings. “Removing money from the Housing Trust Fund is concerning,” said Boggan. “A lot of homeowners rely on that for home repairs.”
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People.com
‘Things have come undone’: At home with the millions of people who owe billions of dollars during COVID
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about the pandemic’s impact on renters in the U.S. “Households are showing extreme signs of economic distress both through rent owed, but also through other forms of debt that they've extended themselves,” he said.
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