By John Steele
Keystone Edge

Commentators past and present, from Charles Dickens and Upton Sinclair to Jon Teaford and the opinion section of the Detroit News, have both celebrated and bemoaned the decline of urban manufacturing. While unchecked manufacturing has historically caused pollution and exploited workers, the proud tradition of American innovation built our great cities. Now, rusted factory silos and empty, unremediated brownfields scream a stern reminder of our industrialized history, for better or worse.

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Thursday, May 27 from 4-6:30 pm
Reception Follows
The Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch St., Philadelphia

A presentation of innovative designs for restoring the competitive edge of older, under-used industrial spaces and creating new neighborhood-based opportunities.

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By Thomas J. Walsh

For PlanPhilly
April 23, 2010

The loss of industrial jobs and a decline in manufacturing in Philadelphia is certainly nothing new, but most residents of the region would probably trace the start of the downturn to the 1960s and ’70s. In fact, the attrition started in the 1920s, said Acting Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger, at a panel Friday morning at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design.

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Urban Land Institute Foundation Announces $86,000 In Funding Through Community Action Grants Program
Four Winners of Semi-Annual Awards Announced at ULI Real Estate Summit in Boston

WASHINGTON (April 15, 2010) – Four grants have been awarded in the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) semi-annual funding of its community action grants program. Through the program, created over five years ago, the ULI Foundation Fund has raised money to be distributed as grants to district councils or ULI members on behalf of nonprofit organizations for entrepreneurial programs that aim to improve urban growth in their communities.

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By Thomas J. Walsh
PlanPhilly

Read the article at PlanPhilly

NEW ORLEANS – A much-anticipated study due out next month from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. was previewed Monday morning at the American Planning Association conference, held here through Tuesday.

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By Nina Rappaport

The Architect’s Newspaper

To anyone riding Amtrak from New York to Philadelphia, the demise of the former “workshop of the world” is evident in the crumbling brick stacks and punched-out windows of factory relics. But while other cities have all but given up on attracting new industries, Philadelphia has embarked on conceptualizing a revitalized manufacturing future.

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The Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, Rocco Landesman, stopped by Crane Arts as part of his national “Art Works” tour that is exploring the role of the arts in economic revitalization.  Philadelphia was touted as a leading example of a city promoting the creative economy. Read the Inquirer article.

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By Thomas J. Walsh
PlanPhilly

Infill Philadelphia, an ongoing initiative of the nonprofit Community Design Collaborative, kicked off its “Industrial Sites Design Challenge” last week at the Urban Outfitters headquarters, within the stylish, re-worked former pipe shop at the Navy Yard.

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The kickoff event was held at the former pipe factory transformed into the headquarters of Urban Outfitters and featured presentations from Bill Struever and John Grady.  Watch videos of the presentation.

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The Community Design Collaborative is pleased to announce the  projects and firms to be included in Retooling Industrial Sites, an exhibit that will showcase the work of over 30 design firms in transforming old industrial sites back to productive use.  Leading examples of industrial reuse in Philadelphia and inspiring projects from cities across the country will be on display, ranging from factories, offices, schools, housing, mixed-use development and interpretive historical sites.  The list of featured projects includes…

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