January 17-20: Robert A.M. Stern, Megaprojects & The Battle for Atlantic Yards, Chang, Lower Schuylkill Master Plan open houses, Philadelphia’s walkability

“Architecture and Place” with Robert A. M. Stern

Tuesday, January 17, 6:30-8pm. Drexel University, Mandell Theater, 33rd and Chestnut Street. Robert A.M. Stern comes to Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, to lead a talk on “Architecture and Place,” focusing on how architecture can improve cities and university campuses. Stern is the dean and J.M. Hoppin professor of architecture at the Yale School of Architecture. He is also the founder and senior partner of Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Stern’s office created the Comcast Center, a master plan for the Navy Yard, and buildings at Penn and Drexel.

Megaprojects & In the Footprint: The Battle over Atlantic Yards

Megaproject forum, January 17, 7pm. PennDesign, Meyerson Hall, 210 S. 34th Street; In the Footprint opens Wednesday, January 18, 7:30pm. Penn, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Harold Prince Theater, 3680 Walnut Street. Penn brings the docu-musical In the Footprint: The Battle over Atlantic Yards from January 18-29, about a contentious planning and development project in Brooklyn, and bookends the show with two forums hosted by PennDesign. The first forum, on January 17, will trace the history of huge-scale planning projects and the political compromises and controversy surrounding them. The panel will moderated by John Landis, Chair of Penn’s Department of City and Regional Planning, and feature Penn planning professors alongside representatives from People’s Emergency Center CDC and the West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution. Several shows will be followed by discussions and talk-backs. Be sure to check the Annenberg website for the full schedule. Tickets start at $20 and are available through the Annenberg Center’s box office or online. UPDATE: The Megaproject forum at PennDesign is free and open to the public.

Secret Cinema at The Penn Museum: Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

Wednesday January 18, 6pm. Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South Street. As part of their 2011-2012 series at the Penn Museum, Secret Cinema shows the 1927 adventure film, Chang, the predecessor to creators Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s later work King Kong. The film was shot entirely on location in Siam, and is a quasi-documentary film about life on the fringe of the jungle, including an elephant stampede. This Secret Cinema series is screening vintage films that relate to the Penn Museum’s geographical focus and archaeological themes. All films are shown from 16mm prints, in surprising areas of the museum. $10 general admission, $7 for seniors, $6 for children 6-17, free for kids 5 and under, free with a Penn card.

Lower Schuylkill Master Plan Open Houses

Wednesday, January 18, 5:30-8:30. Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, 2601 S. 58th Street. Thursday, January 19, 5:30-8:30. St. Gabriel’s Roman Catholic Church, 2917 Dickinson Street. The Lower Schuylkill’s industrial lands are ripe for redevelopment, improved mobility, waterfront access, and industrial growth. Join partners from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and Philadelphia Department of Commerce to discuss the future of this area and share your ideas. Information presented will be the same at both sessions and the public is invited to stop by any time.

Walkability: Philadelphia Strides Into the Future

Thursday, January 19, 6-8:30pm. Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Discuss how Philadelphia is becoming a more pedestrian-friendly city with a panel of experts, moderated by Bob Thomas, Partner of Campbell Thomas & Co Architects and Trail Designer. Panelists include: Bradley Flamm (Department of Community and Regional Planning and Research Fellow, Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University), Joseph Otis Minnott (Executive Director, Clean Air Council), and Dom Nozzi (Senior Planner, Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Chair of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Task Force). Free, register online.