PlanPhilly weekly news recap 1-30-08

Dear PlanPhilly member,
 
The big news this week was the appointment of Andrew Altman as the Deputy Mayor for Commerce and Economic Development, a new post that strengthens the planning bureaucracy in Philadelphia. PlanPhilly broke the story Saturday. http://www.planphilly.com/node/2624 and Matt Blanchard covered the swearing in Monday http://www.planphilly.com/node/2631.
In other news:

Despite the protest of 60 preservationists in front of the  PLICO buildings on North Broad Street last Friday, staging is being put in place to remove the structures and some demolition is under way. http://www.planphilly.com/node/2605
Commission coverage
Zoning Board of Adjustment chair Susan Jaffe wants a climate change in how agency engages and relates to the public. http://www.planphilly.com/node/2633
Meet the new Historical Commission http://www.planphilly.com/files/MAYOR%20NUTTER%20APPOINTS%20MEMBERS%20TO%20THE%20HISTORICAL%20COMMISSION.doc

Preservation
Girard Warehouses are shored up, will be inspected. http://www.planphilly.com/node/2617
Casino lawsuits twists and turns
Foxwoods and SugarHouse keep legal departments busy with issues of riparian rights and city council precedent. http://www.planphilly.com/node/2635
SURVEY
DVRPC Survey: Help shape the future of the Delaware Valley

IMAGINING PHILADELPIA
This coming week, Planphilly continued covering the last of a series of Imagine Philadelphia sessions, a public engagement process being coordinated by the City Planning Commission that is looking at some of the city’s most serious ills, but also coming up with some very upbeat remedies. http://www.planphilly.com/node/2591 Here is the schedule of those events next week:

Jan 31. Imagine Philadelphia neighborhood outreach (Roxborough): http://www.planphilly.com/node/2600

KIMMEL PUBLIC SPACE FORUMS
The Kimmel Center has partnered with PennPraxis and the Penn Project on Civic Engagement to lead a public process on how to make the Kimmel Center public spaces a more vibrant community destination. So far, over 200 people have attended the forums and over 100 have emailed us with ideas that will be the basis of the University of Pennsylvania and University of the Arts student design concepts on how to enliven spaces like Commonwealth Plaza, Hamilton Garden and The Kimmel Center’s Broad and Spruce Street-level façades and sidewalks. Inquirer Architecture critic Inga Saffron on Kimmel public spaces http://www.planphilly.com/node/2629
Tonight is the last community forum.
Wednesday, January 30: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Space is very limited, so reserve your spot today!
For registration and more information, check out www.planphilly.com/kimmel.

Other Upcoming Events

Jan. 31 – DVRPC Land Use and Housing Committee http://www.planphilly.com/node/2603

Jan. 31 – Palazzos of Power: Generating Stations of the Philadelphia Electric Company 1902-1926 http://www.planphilly.com/node/2544

Until next week,
Matt Golas, Managing Editor