Praxis Dialogue: Preservation and the Public Good

With Faye Anderson, Prema Gupta, Wendell Pritchett, Aaron Wunsch
Moderated by Randall Mason

Tuesday, February 28, 2017 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Philadelphia History Museum
15 South 7th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Free and open to the public
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/praxis-dialogues-preservation-and-the-public-good-tickets-31435437239

Philadelphia—On February 28, 2017, PennPraxis, the engagement and consulting arm of the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, and PlanPhilly will present the next installment of Praxis Dialogues, a series of public conversations among design professionals, business and civic leaders, and students on ideas and issues of broad interest to their work. The third in this series focuses on the relationship between the public good and historic preservation. Panelists will discuss preservation's role in civic life; how it contributes to neighborhood identity, collective memory, and economic development; and the politics surrounding our right—and responsibility—to preserve. Leading up to the event, panelists will share their perspectives in a series of stories published on PlanPhilly's Eyes on the Street. 

The discussion will include Faye Anderson, Director of All that Philly Jazz; Prema Gupta, Senior Vice President of Navy Yard Planning & Real Estate Development at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation; Wendell Pritchett, Presidential Professor of Law and Education at Penn Law; and Aaron Wunsch, Assistant Professor in the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at PennDesign. 

Each will describe his or her own experiences with historic preservation, and contribute to a dynamic conversation exploring challenges and opportunities inherent in expanding preservation’s role in the Philadelphia and communicating its reason for being.  The panel will be moderated by Randall Mason, Associate Professor and Chair of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at PennDesign, and Executive Director of PennPraxis.

The constantly shifting concept of “public good” poses a challenge to designers, stewards and managers of public space, as well as to politicians, elected officials, community organizers and citizens. How are public-good ideals rendered and tended in public spaces, sites, buildings, infrastructure and institutions, and communicated to the world at large?

Even in the most settled times, the status of historic preservation as a public good is contentious. The questions surrounding historic preservation go deeper than regulation or the controversy over a particular building.  Something more specific and tangible than the “character” of the city is at stake; and something more profound and impactful than an official designation or responsible restoration.  Preservation is, and has long been, part of the life of many cities, especially Philadelphia.  But on what basis?  Habit and inheritance? Good taste and propriety?  Lack of economic pressure?  Collective responsibility and quality urbanism?  To get to the bottom of these varied notions of the responsibility or right to pursue historic preservation, a conversation about its role as a public good is warranted.

The following perspectives, among others, will be explored:

·      Philadelphia’s role as a historic place—its identity and the stories of its citizens— weighed against the imperatives of growth and attracting investment;

·      Conceptual arguments such as identity and collective memory, weighed against more pragmatic arguments such as preservation’s role in advancing sustainability;

·      The responsibility to care for heritage as a long-term asset of the city;

·      The process of preserving built heritage is also a public good, not just the results. Who contributes to the process? Who participates?

·      How much preservation is enough?  When, or how, is the public good of built heritage satisfied?

·      Historic preservation’s relation to economic development is essentially contested.  As a mode of redevelopment, can preservation satisfy the public goods in maintenance and innovation?

About PennPraxis

The mission of PennPraxis is to extend design excellence and innovation beyond the classroom and into communities by creating opportunities for students, faculty and partners to collaborate. We pursue this mission by helping faculty take on practice opportunities that match their interests and provide real world opportunities to work with clients on design challenges; by providing fee-for-service consulting in design and research assignments; and by convening events and communicating the practical work of the School. 

About PennDesign

PennDesign prepares students to address complex sociocultural and environmental issues through thoughtful inquiry, creative expression, and innovation. As a diverse community of scholars and practitioners, we are committed to advancing the public good—both locally and globally—through art, design, planning, and preservation.

Media Contact: Julie Donofrio, Managing Director, PennPraxis, 215.573.8719, donojt@design.upenn.edu.