Fall 2003 Wrap-up
Winter 2004

The Fall 2003 semester was a busy one, beginning with a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and the Pennsylvania Planning Association's annual conference in Pittsburgh (including a trip to a Pirates game). The first-year vs. second-year kickball match went down without a hitch - with the exception of some good natured discussion over score reporting. Perhaps everyone was a little tired after running from the band of hornets circling the cold cuts, but everyone had fun and new Environmental Planning professor Tom Daniels got a good opportunity to show off his kickball finesse.

The semester also saw a number of interesting speakers and events, including lectures by Professor in Practice Bob Yaro (President of the Regional Plan Association of New York City), Will Fleissig, and the Big City Planner's Symposium (read more about the lectures here).

And who can forget the department holiday party - the last party in first-year David Kooris's Center City penthouse? Or for that matter, who can remember it? We have been judicious enough to filter out the more saucy photos to keep in the office, but check out the rest of them below.

What a semester! Phew.

Department Welcomes New Students
August 2003

Faculty, staff, and students of the deparment welcomed more than 80 incoming students into the MCP Class of 2005 during a luncheon. This year's class is among the largest in the department's history, owing to the record number of applications it received as well as the competitive applicant pool.

Penn Students Lands 3rd Place in ULI/Hines Urban Design Competition
June 2003

A GSFA-sponsored team from Penn tied third place with MIT in the national ULI-Hines Urban Design Competition. Teams around the U.S. were challenged with formulating a realistic development solution that includes both design and non-design issues on a 70 acres of land directly south of the Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. The Penn team presented their X-Concept solution, a four pedestrian x-axes emanating from the intersection of two important streets, South Capitol Street and M Street to catalyze the overall revitalization of the whole Southeast area. The X-Concept replicates L’ Enfant diamond shaped city plan design in both form and function to create the Southern Gateway to D.C. The Penn team is comprised of five members, Ellyn Liu from the City and Regional Planning Department, Richard Moh and Marvin Tien from Wharton MBA program, Misa Chen from Landscape Architecture School, and Telu Tsai from the MBA program of St. Josephs University. The team was advised by Professor Susan M. Wachter.

Teaching Award Goes to City Planning Professor
May 2003

Our very own Sidney Wong, Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning, received the 2003 G. Holmes Perkins Award for distinguished and innovation in the methods of instruction in the classroom, seminar, or studio. Professor Wong currently teaches four courses: Quanitative Methods in Planning, Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation for Planning, Public Finance for Planning, and Urban Economic Analysis. This award is given every year to a member of the faculty of the Graduate School of Fine Arts. The award is named in honor of G. Holmes Perkins who served as Dean of the Graduate School of Fine Arts from 1951-1971, and was established by former Dean and Paley Professor Patricia Conway in 1993.

Professor Wong came to Penn from Florida International University in Miami, where he taught urban studies from 1996 to 1998. Before that, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Southern California. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

Faculty/Student Reception and Valedictory Lecture
April 15, 2003

A visit from American Planning Association Executive Director & CEO Paul Farmer, AICP, gave everyone something to smile about on income tax day. The evening began with a reception at the Architectural Archives, where Dr. Birch and Dean Hack presented David Wallace, Principal, Wallace Roberts & Todd, with a certificate of recognition for bringing his leadership and experience to the students' studio experience. Richard Bartholomew, FAICP, (pictured on the left) accepted the award on his behalf. Mr. Farmer was then recognized for his contributions to the field of planning and to the Department. Following the reception, Mr. Farmer delivered a lecture in honor of the soon-to-be-graduating second year planning students.

Class Notes: Guest Lectures in Public Finance
April 2003

Professor Sidney Wong's Public Finance for Planning class recently featured lectures from three experienced professionals who shared their insights into local government finance and budgeting:

• Thomas Queenan, former City of Philadelphia Treasurer and currently a Vice President at AG Edwards, presented "An Issuer's Perspective - Fiscal Management and Capital Financing." Mr. Queenan had worked in former Mayor Rendell's fiscal team. He brought his unique insights as both a trained architect and a Wharton MBA to the class.

• Brett Mandel, author, assistant controller of the City of Philadelphia, and graduate of Penn's own Fels School, spoke about tax reform and other fiscal issues in Philadelphia. Mr. Mandel had previously served as an associate in the Pennsylvania Economy League.

• Doug Cleland, city manager of Lower Merion Township, PA, spoke about the "ins and outs" of the budgeting process. Mr. Cleland, the former deputy finance director of the City of Columbus, OH, now manages a municipality that is one of only two townships in the United States to have a AAA bond rating.
  

reVIEW: The First Annual City Planning Exhibit
April 3, 2003

Architects and fine artists are always exhibiting their work in one of
Meyerson Hall's galleries. This time was, however, it was the city planners' turn. The Department of City and Regional Planning held its first annual exhibition, titled "reVIEW," featuring work from more than 20 students and student groups.

The Annual Departmental Faculty Dinner
March 30, 2003

City planning students, faculty, and their significant others packed Philadelphia's Bistro St. Tropez for its annual faculty dinner. Stay tuned for some fun photos!

Three Penn Alumni Inducted into the College of Fellows of the AICP
March 29, 2003

Penn alumni continue to be recognized for their distinguished work in the planning profession. Among the planners inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2003 are the following three Penn alumni:

H. Randal Roark, MCP '70 Richard T. Lai, Ph.D. '75 Ralph E. Becker, Jr., C '73

Announcing the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence at Penn
March 26, 2003

The department is pleased to announce the creation of the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence (CURE) at the University of Pennsylvania. This collaboration between the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Fine Arts has been made possible by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The program aims to create an entry point for new entrepreneurs into the field of urban development. CURE seeks high-quality candidates for 2-year placements with host organizations including some of the most effective large-scale developers working in neighborhood revitalization nationwide. Fellows will emerge from their experiences as prime candidates for ongoing work and leadership in the field of urban redevelopment. For more information, visit the CURE Web site.

Learning from Cities: Imagery as a Design and Planning Tool
March 6, 2003

Jane Thompson, Principal of the Thompson Design Group gave one of her famous triple slide show lecture/presentations on some of the inspirations for and plans that she and her late husband Ben had created. The Thompson’s were the originators of the “Festival Markets” projects in places like Faneuil Hall in Boston and the South Street Seaport in New York City.

Planning Perspectives: Housing and Real Estate
March 3, 2003

Bill Witte, Penn alum and Managing Partner of the Related Companies, shared some of his thoughts on the design and implementation of inner-city revitalization projects and how to engage the real estate market for lower income housing.

Redesigning Cities: Principles, Practice, and Implementation
February 27, 2003

Penn Professor of Practice Jonathan Barnett unveiled his new book with a lecture and book signing. He highlighted some of the principle influences in current planning and urban design, and how to take advantage of some recent successes, such as the Metro corridor of Arlington, VA.

Big City Planners Symposium III
November 11, 2002

The Department of City and Regional Planning hosted its 3rd annual Big City Planners Symposium. This year's event featured: Amanda Burden, Chair, New York City Planning Commission Commission;
Sam Casella, President, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP); and Maxine Griffith, Executive Director, Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Penn Lecturer Todd Bressi moderated the discussion.

Class Notes: Field Trip to Newark International Airport
November 2002

Professor Tomazinis' Land Use and Transportation Planning class toured Newark International Airport to learn about its AirTrain system, which connects NJTransit and Amtrak train lines to Newark's airport terminals. The class also met with officials from the Port Authority of NY/NJ.

Smart Growth: Telegrams from the Trenches
October 17, 2002

Uri Avin—Penn grad, Director of Community Planning in Columbia, Maryland, and Associate Vice President of HNTB—shared his experience with developing Smart Growth strategies in Maryland, one of the model states for growth management. He also discussed the importance of developing scenarios for planning.

Class Notes: Field Trip to Lancaster
October 2002

First-year planning students visited Lancaster County, PA with faculty and received a guided tour from Professor David Schuyler, author of A City Transformed: Redevelopment, Race, and Suburbanization in Lancaster, Pennsylvania 1940-1980. After the tour of town, a former county planning director then took students to the countryside to talk about the county's model farmland protection program.

Richard Florida Lecture
September 4, 2002

Author and Carnegie Mellon University professor Richard Florida spoke to Penn students, faculty, and community members about his ideas in The Rise of the Creative Class. The book focuses on a class of professionals who thrive on creativity in their work and personal lives and make decisions on where to live based on how well a place meets their needs. He suggests that creativity is the new driving force of economic growth.

City Planning Annual Picnic
September 2002

Planning students and faculty once again kicked off the academic year with an annual picnic held in Fairmount Park. The food, sport, and conversation were enjoyed by all. Pictured on the right, Professor Tomazinis ponders a new pitching strategy with students Kyle and Elizabeth in the impromptu kickball tournament.

Luna, the unofficial mascot of the planning department, poses for a picture.

Professors Birch and Keene duel fiercely in four square. The match apparently ended in a draw, which will be settled at next year's picnic.