Event

URBAN STUDIES PUBLIC CONVERSATION SERIES: 

CAN URBAN DEVELOPMENT BE A VEHICLE FOR EQUITY IN PHILADELPHIA?

Since 2001, Urban Studies at Penn has organized conversations to address topics of critical importance to the City of Philadelphia. Each panel brings together academic and policy researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to participate from their different vantage points. Panels are also coordinated to fit within a specific course in the URBS undergraduate curriculum.

This year, we organized three panels address the question "Can Urban Development be a Vehicle for Equity in Philadelphia?" The series examines recent efforts to shape development in Philadelphia and explores how these efforts are contributing to the city's identity, economic growth, and social vibrancy; and how they might mitigate displacement, loss of history, or a fractured civic life and culture. 

The Public Conversation Series is, as always, free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Fels Policy Research Initiative.

For questions, email: urbs@sas.upenn.edu or call 215-898-6948.

ZONING: Intended and Unintended Consequences
APRIL 10 | 5:30-7:30pm
Amado Recital Hall Room 110, Irvine Auditorium

Karen Black, CEO of May 8 Consulting, Inc.

Prior to beginning her consulting practice, Black was the founding director of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Policy Center, a region-wide policy center founded to research issues affecting the economy, environment and equity within the Philadelphia metropolitan region. Before that, Black spent 12 years as a practicing civil rights attorney, is the author of numerous reports and professional articles, and a frequent commentator for television and radio programs. She has earned a number of awards for her work over the years, and currently teaches at Penn and Princeton Universities.

Emily Dowdall, Chief of Development and Policy Implementation at Reinvestment Fund

Before Reinvestment Fund, Dowdall was with the Philadelphia Research Initiative (PRI) at the Pew Charitable Trusts, where she led research efforts on critical issues facing Philadelphia and other cities, producing major reports on gentrification and neighborhood change, the role of public libraries, and the closure and reuse of school buildings. Before PRI, Emily was also a Senior Policy Analyst for the Criminal Justice Coordinator in New York City’s Office of the Mayor, where she aided in the planning and launch of a new continuum of alternatives to detention for court-involved youth, and a comprehensive legal support program for low-income families.

Andrew Goodman, Community Engagement Director of New Kensington Community Development Corporation
 
As Community Engagement Director, Andrew advances NKCDC’s diverse neighborhood-based programming that is designed to build community across the organization’s six diverse River Ward neighborhoods and 60,000 residents. Previously, Goodman worked as a city planner and project manager for PennPraxis. His focus was on projects that combined community engagement and public space design, including the Central Delaware Waterfront Planning Process, the Green2015 initiative for Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and the Bartram’s Mile project in Southwest Philadelphia.  Goodman was an early contributor to PlanPhilly and helped shape the site in its first iteration.

Jeff Hornstein, Executive Director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and Chair of Crosstown Coalition

Until January 2018, Hornstein served at the Director of Financial & Policy Analysis for the Philadelphia City Controller.  As such he advised Controller Alan L. Butkovitz and worked on critical issues relating to Philadelphia's fiscal health. In his civic life, Hornstein serves on several neighborhood association boards, as well as the Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition, a citywide organization representing twenty-five civic associations.  He is also ran for City Council in 2011. Jeff spent a decade in the labor movement, after the publication of a well-regarded book on the real estate industry.