Design | Penn Today

Chinatown landmark spared the wrecking ball, for now

The Weitzman School of Design’s Fon Wang spoke about the importance of Philadelphia’s Chinese Cultural and Community Center. “It has a strong social history, and it’s important to keep this building,” said Wang. “I think the reaction from the potential demo shows that Chinatown is a strong community.”

A vacant lot between rowhouses in Philadelphia

Wading into Philly’s vacant land morass

Four students in the Weitzman School’s Department of City and Regional Planning are working to find suitable properties to rehabilitate with the Women’s Community Revitalization Project and the City of Philadelphia Department of Planning and Development.

two scooters parked next to a bike rack with bikes parked on a sidewalk

Public scooters may soon zip through Philadelphia

The School of Design’s Megan Ryerson assisted with the city’s debate over the scooter as a safe and viable transportation alternative, as Pennsylvania assesses a bill to legalize electric scooters on public streets.

U of Pennsylvania to rename design school for Stuart Weitzman

Alumnus Stuart Weitzman and his wife Jane were highlighted for their contributions to the School of Design. The gift, commemorated by the school’s new name, will go toward financial aid and academic programming as well as a redesign of the School’s central plaza.

booklet questionnaire about a home's history

PennPraxis launches toolkit for neighborhood preservation

In the past decade, Philadelphia’s building boom has been accompanied by a string of demolitions touching almost every corner of the city, and resulting in the loss of everything from iconic churches to vernacular row houses. But even as a growing number of Philadelphians lament these losses, advocates for historic preservation have sometimes struggled to make a case for keeping Philadelphia’s built fabric intact.

Designing with nature, now

Thanks in large part to the foundation Ian McHarg built, the Stuart Weitzman School of Design Landscape Architecture Department has led the field for decades. Here’s how it’s staying relevant as the importance for the profession—one that is central to solving some of the world’s greatest challenges—grows.

Blue stripe with Determination written on it in stairwell

Using stairwells for wellness

StairWELL, a Penn Sustainability Green Fund project, completed a yearlong pilot project last July that aimed to test how effective a stairwell makeover could be in increasing physical activity and reducing energy costs.

Scooter companies hope to be street legal in Pennsylvania by summer

The School of Design’s Megan Ryerson said the popularization of shared scooters could make everyone’s commutes safer by increasing drivers’ awareness and a resulting demand for protected bike lanes. “When we give Philadelphians access to safe and affordable alternatives for transportation, they will use them,” she said.

University of Pennsylvania Names School of Design in Recognition of Stuart Weitzman’s Lifetime Commitment and Support of Penn

The new name will be the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.

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