11/15
Urban Planning
At the intersection of water, equity, and climate change
The Water Center at Penn is collaborating to help guide community decisions to build capacity in water infrastructure.
‘Perspectives on Fair Housing’ looks back on more than 50 years of landmark legislation
A new Penn Press book featuring experts from law, education, urban studies, and social policy presents fair housing as one of the foremost issues facing the U.S. today.
Housing initiative fuels cooperation between cities during pandemic
Vincent Reina and Amy Castro Baker are working with the U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, through the Housing Initiative at Penn to design a housing assistance plan both during the pandemic and after.
Safely reengaging with nightlife and supporting the creative economy
PennPraxis researchers are collaborating on the Global Nighttime Recovery Plan, which provides best practices, real-world examples, and frameworks for safe and inclusive nightlife.
A conversation about ‘Akon City’ and speculative urbanization
Christopher Marcinkoski of the Weitzman School of Design unpacks—through the lens of speculative urbanization—the self-described ‘futuristic’ city to be built in Senegal, led by musician and philanthropist Akon.
Improving the quality of life in cities
The Gordon Fellowship program, currently in its second year, provides urban studies students with an opportunity to find summer internships that connect theory with practice.
Design travels to South Carolina to plan more protective urban coastlines
A Weitzman School team is working with the city of Charleston on an urban seawall plan that combines natural elements with structural systems that respond to the local conditions of the city’s shoreline.
PennPraxis Design Fellows take on the real world with design solutions
PennPraxis has expanded the scope of experience for graduate students since its founding in 2001, and now 80 Design Fellows are involved in ambitious interdisciplinary design projects.
Reflections on public spaces in the age of COVID, protest
Ken Lum and Paul Farber of the Weitzman School of Design remark on how the public might perceive public spaces and art differently in the time of COVID-19 and protests.
‘Expanding what it means to be a class’
Allison Lassiter, Randall Mason, Michael Luegering, Joshua Mosley, Richard Farley, and Michael Henry had to work quickly and creatively to shift their classes from a hands-on learning experience to a virtual one.
In the News
What happened to crash rates when one state legalized speed cameras?
A study by Erick Guerra of the Weitzman School of Design and colleagues suggests that speed cameras lead to a substantial and statistically significant reduction in fatalities and crashes.
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Why the U.S. government is spending $7 billion on solar for low-income homes
Sanya Carley of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that the Solar for All program could have an impact far beyond its projected 900,000 low-income households.
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Study offers ideas to help Nashville music venues
A study by PennPraxis at the Weitzman School of Design offers solutions for preserving music venues in Nashville.
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Philly traffic citations have plunged since the 1990s. Police say they want to issue many more
Erick Guerra of the Weitzman School of Design says that stay-at-home orders during the pandemic largely cleared streets and sidewalks, causing the remaining drivers to accelerate on once-congested roadways.
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In a city known for traffic, LAX is a standout for its gridlock. Can it be fixed?
Megan Ryerson of the Weitzman School of Design says that much of the traffic in Los Angeles is attributable to people going to and from the airport.
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A new idea for Market East: A ‘Welcoming District’ for immigrants who are driving population growth
Graduate students at the Weitzman School of Design are submitting speculative proposals for a Welcoming District near Philadelphia’s Fashion District that could replace or supplement the Sixers arena.
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