Mobile Workshop
MW06-South by Southwest
$45
Southwest Philadelphia, a rich, varied and somewhat undefined region of the city, showcases both local vibrancy and underinvestment. It’s home to neighborhoods like Kingsessing, unique business sectors, such as Little Africa along Chester and Woodland Avenues, and educational and municipal centers. Three of SEPTA’s 8 trolley lines travel through the area, making the Trolley Modernization initiative an opportunity to tackle persistent issues with access to jobs and food. Hear how local organizations are working to empower community members to take the lead and benefit from neighborhood planning and development, without gentrification taking hold.
Photo credit: 2023 Studio1 Students at Stuart Weitzman School of Design
Workforce Development, Businesses, 2024 Conference, Community Development, Community Engagement, Planning, Transit.
Mobile Workshop
MW07-William H. Gray 30th Street Station and Schuylkill Yards
$65 includes lunch
A world-class redevelopment is underway on the banks of the Schuylkill River in West Philadelphia. It’s been called one of the most exceptional transit-oriented developments in the nation and an opportunity for architects, engineers, planners and designers to lay the foundation for Philadelphia’s bright future. See the elements already built and hear directly from project partners about: the redevelopment of Amtrak’s William H. Gray 30th Street Station for a new era of rail transportation and local connectivity; the redevelopment of Schuylkill Yards by Brandywine Realty Trust as a transportation-centric district of parks, life sciences workspaces and residences; and the renovation of SEPTA’s Drexel Station into a modern transit gateway, the first to display the new SEPTA Metro wayfinding – and the first to involve station naming rights. Learn about this model of collaborative master planning and joint development, involving partnerships between public, private and academic institutions. Also learn about funding – including from the IIJA and PennDOT – and efforts to provide community benefits to the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Photo credit: Christina Arlt
Station Design, Community Benefit Agreements, Public Space, Funding, 2024 Conference, Economic Development, Planning, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).
Mobile Workshop
MW08-100 Years in the Making:Â The Vision for Roosevelt Boulevard
$65 includes lunch
Update: This Mobile Workshop ends at 2pm, not 12:45 as originally published. The lunch is an authentic Chinese dim sum buffet.
Roosevelt Boulevard, 12 lanes wide, runs through northeast Philadelphia, carrying 90,000 vehicles and 20,000 people via bus per day. It is one of the deadliest roads in the country, with a crash every 4.5 hours by some estimates. Roughly a half a million people live along the route. While immediate work focuses on improving traffic signals and adding curb extensions and other pedestrian safety features, there’s a bigger conversation about alternatives for transforming the boulevard for the long term. One of the options is to revive a 100-year-old plan for a subway under Roosevelt Boulevard, transforming the street environment while reducing traffic and emissions, improving safety and spurring new housing and business development. Is this a moment for the big vision for what transit investments could be? Challenges include securing funding, obtaining regulatory approvals, and addressing community concerns. It’s a discussion that involves government agencies, transportation authorities and community groups. Get all the details and see the Boulevard.
Photo: Roosevelt Boulevard today and rendering of a subway station entrance. Credit: Thom Carroll (top); Jay Arzu (bottom)
Funding, 2024 Conference, Walking, Housing, Safety, Economic Development, Community Development, Transit, Climate Resilience, Corridor Planning, Street Design.
Mobile Workshop
MW11-SEPTA Metro: Multiple Modes, Unified
$45
Boost your familiarity with a variety of types of transit service – and find out how SEPTA is improving to meet the needs of today’s riders. The SEPTA system combines bus, trolley, subway/el and regional rail inherited from five different private companies. Experience city and suburban transit offerings including: an electrified regional rail line with a Center City tunnel; a quirky suburban line running little trains on a high speed right of way; a busy elevated in West Philadelphia; and street-running trolleys that dive into a subway. See busy hubs where these lines connect to local buses and each other. Hear about SEPTA’s ambitious plans for the future, including a bus network redesign, transformation of regional rail to frequent all day service, and a complete modernization of trolley lines. SEPTA Metro unifies these disparate rail lines into one connected system more intelligible and friendly to new and all-day riders. No matter what type of transit runs in your community, you’ll come away with examples of how to modernize, coordinate and market the system and better serve riders.
Note: This workshop is not ADA accessible.
Photo: Drexel Station at 30th Street and Schuylkill Yards. Credit: Drexel University
Place Branding, Regional Rail, Station Design, Design, 2024 Conference, Transit, Mobility Hub.
Mobile Workshop
MW12-Blossom at Bartram: Growing the Future in Southwest Philadelphia
$45
Learn about the vision – and growing reality – for revitalizing Kingsessing, a neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia that suffers from unsafe streets, obsolete public housing and lack of access to nearby amenities such as Bartram’s Garden (the nation’s first botanical garden, started in 1728!) and the Schuylkill River Trail. Hear from SEPTA about improvements that will transform a corridor on Philadelphia’s High Injury Network, by bringing accessible trolley stations, separated bike lanes, new sidewalks and a state-of-the-art maintenance facility. Hear about the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation’s Lower Schuylkill Biotech Campus, fostering diverse and inclusive economic growth in Philadelphia’s industry-leading life sciences sector. And hear how the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Bartram Village Choice Neighborhoods project will replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that helps residents and the broader community thrive. Learn how these cross-sector players are working together and with neighborhood residents to create a vibrant, safe, inclusive, connected, active and green community for the future.
Photo credit: Christina Arlt
Bicycling, Affordable Housing, Economic Development, 2024 Conference, Community Development, Corridor Planning, Sustainability.
