Several students in Penn's School of Design spent last weekend becoming intimately familiar with a handful of Philadelphia casinos. No, they don't have a gambling problem, but rather were working long hours to provide designs for the city's two new gambling parlors.
Love or hate the idea of slot machines in Philadelphia, the fact that students are engaged in the design process -- especially to the extent to which these groups took ownership of their projects -- is a good example of how Penn and the city can work together to solve problems. Even Mayor John Street was impressed by the work.
PennPraxis, a unit of PennDesign, was the driving force behind the casino designs, and the group is no stranger to working with the city on development projects. "These civic engagement projects organized by PennPraxis provide an opportunity for the knowledge of our students and the needs of the community to overlap," said Harris Steinberg, the group's executive director.
And the city has needs.
In the spring of 2003, Steinberg helped to organize forums for the city to create a development plan for Penn's Landing. The stretch of waterfront along the Delaware River is certainly in need of a facelift. Unfortunately, the city has made little progress over the past year on proposals for the site.
When action is finally taken, it will be rewarding to know that Penn had a hand in creating an attractive public space.
City Hall should be looking to Meyerson Hall more often when it comes to planning new projects. Educational organizations like PennPraxis are ideally suited to solve problems in Philadelphia, since their hands are not tied by developers seeking profit.
In this city, a little fresh architectural thinking couldn't hurt.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.