Remaking Civic Infrastructure: A Discussion of How Cities are Reinvesting in Libraries, Parks, Rec Centers, and the Public Realm

On April 27, 2017, PennPraxis, the engagement and consulting arm of the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, will present “Remaking Civic Infrastructure: A Discussion of How Cities are Reinvesting in Libraries, Parks, Rec Centers, and the Public Realm.” Panelists will discuss the questions and challenges facing major North American cities, including New York, Seattle, Detroit, and Atlanta, as they invest in public spaces; how cities are addressing concerns over equity and inclusion; and how cities can measure and evaluate the impact of their reinvestments. 

The discussion will feature: 

• Maurice Cox, Planning Director for the City of Detroit, and former director of Tulane City Center at the Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans; 
• Ryan Gravel, urban designer and creator of the Atlanta Beltline; 
• Lynne Sagalyn, Professor of Real Estate in the Columbia Business School, and author of Power at Ground Zero: Politics, Money, and the Rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, among other publications on city building. 

Randall Mason, Executive Director of PennPraxis and Associate Professor and Chair of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at PennDesign, will moderate the discussion. 

This discussion will build upon the April publication of “Civic Infrastructure: A Model for Civic Asset Reinvestment.” It is the first in a series of planned white papers reconceptualizing the risks and opportunities associated with large-scale civic asset reinvestment. Both the paper and public discussion aim to provide context for the City of Philadelphia’s Rebuilding Community Infrastructure Initiative, a six-year, $500-million reinvestment in the City’s libraries, recreation centers, and parks.