Emerging Technology : Development News

The Philadelphia Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival and DesignPhiladelphia, are going to light up the Ben Franklin Parkway like never before come September. The best part is that visitors to the Parkway will be the ones controlling the light show through the use of a smartphone app. This will be the world premier of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s "Open Air" art installation, which will provide a web of light over the path many people use to access Center City.

Open Air will consist of 3-D light that is powered by the voices and GPS locations of Parkway visitors through the use of a free smartphone app, says Susan Myers, the Open Air project manager with the Fairmount Park Art Association. Myers makes sure to mention that everyone will be given a chance to participate, as the Art Association will have a station by the Philadelphia Museum of Art parking lot where people can borrow smartphones to use. 

The display will span from 21st to 24th Sts. along the Parkway, with lights mounted to Parktowne Place, the Best Western hotel, and scaffolding on Von Colln Field, according to Myers. In all, there will be 24 robotic searchlights, which will be visible from as far as 15 miles away. While Myers admits a similar presentation was done in Tokyo, this will be considered a world premiere. If Lozano-Hemmer is successful here, he will likely follow suit with similar interactive light shows in cities across the world. 

The Fairmount Park Art Association received  the largest amount awarded through the 2011 Knight Arts Challenge from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, $250,000, and a $45,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to bring Open Air to Philly. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is a Mexican-Canadian artist who works with architecture and high-tech theater, and whose works have been displayed around the world and in prestigious museums, like the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. 

Myers is truly excited to bring "Open Air"to the Parkway. "We feel public art is one of the city’s most overlooked assets," she says. The project manager has reached out to various stakeholders, such as the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). She makes it clear that the searchlights won’t shine in anyone’s window, which is a point that seems to satisfy members of LSNA.    

Source: Susan Myers, Fairmount Park Art Association
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Photo courtesy of the Fairmount Park Art Association 

It is fitting that the upcoming expansion of NextFab Studio, the two year-old "gym for innovators" that features digital fabrication tools and the opportunity for most anyone to create most anything, will bring it to a new flagship location at a former custom ironwork shop run by old-world craftsmen.

NextFab announced last week it will be growing in a big way from its original space in the University City Science Center at 3711 Market Street, where it has doubled membership in the last six months and tripled revenue between 2010 and 2011.

And inside its new facility, expected to open by early July, NextFab2 will look to create the latest edition of the creative economy, just like when slabs of iron were being shaped decades ago at the new site at 2025 Washington Ave.

"As our members increase in number and skill and the reputation of our design, engineering and custom fabrication services has grown, an increasing number of members and clients want to take on projects that fall outside of that size range, or which need more privacy or more intense around-the-clock effort," says NextFab president and founder Evan Malone.

Indeed, the new facility in Southwest Center City/Graduate Hospital should provide ample space: 21,000 square feet of equipment, expert staff, classes, workshops and accessible design, engineering and custom fabrication services.

Media-based architecture and design firm inHabit has reconfigured the building, which will provide private studios with 24/7 access, 14-foot ceilings, CNC water-jet cutter, CNC machining center, CNC router, more advanced 3D printers and a chemistry and micro-fabrication lab.

According to Malone, NextFab2 will have the layout and space for the big tools necessary for massive projects. There will be drive-in loading/unloading, a forklift and crane, a vehicle lift and facilities for car and motorcycle customization and electric-fuel conversion. There are also plenty of lighter touches, like a street-level cafe, space for exhibition and sales of products and art, and dedicated classroom spaces.

NextFab has come a long way in a short time. Revenue in 2011 was almost $500,000 with a membership that numbers 150. Full-time teaching and consulting staff has more than doubled to 17 professional artists, engineers and designers. Classes, of which there are 30 and range from Digital Embroidery to using a CNC Plasma Cutter, often fill up a month in advance.

"Our members are now successfully selling book scanners, laser-cut home decor and fashion products, custom speakers and more that they make at NextFab," says Malone.

Part of NextFab's aim is to reduce the learning curve associated with digital fabrication and foster an environment of innovation that transcends culture and education backgrounds.

"In traditional mass production you build an expensive factory to cheaply make millions of identical products," says Malone. "Digital Fabrication is an economic game changer because each thing you make can be unique for the cost of changing the picture on the computer screen."

Memberships will be available at the current rate until May 1, when rates will go up to help fund the expansion.

Source: Evan Malone, NextFab Studio
Writer: Joe Petrucci

It's simply amazing the juggernaut that Facebook has become, as you can now check into businesses, comment on Flying Kite articles, and reconnect with (or laugh at) long-lost family and friends. Yet, there's even more, especially for university students in Philadelphia. Campus Apartments, which holds properties in University City, now allows its student tenants to pay their rent through Facebook Connect. Campus Apartments unveiled this service in late January, and is excited with the response, albeit a little afraid of being poked.

Campus Apartments is able to utilize Facebook through a partnership between their existing online payment system, SmartClick, and the social network. Previously, the only way to access SmartClick was by inputting an e-mail address and password, says John Ailor, senior Director of Web and Wireless Technologies at Campus Apartments. Yet, in a sign of how ubiquitous Facebook has become, Campus Apartments decided it would be easier for many residents to simply remain on Facebook to pay their rent.  

Ailor outlines all that students can do via Facebook. They can "make payments, view (the) tenant ledger and submit service requests easily and more quickly than before,” he remarks. Ailor assures that it's far from a complicated process to sign up for the privilege of Facebook rent payment, as it should drag on no longer than a minute. 

While the Facebook perk came only went live just a couple of weeks ago, Ailor boasts that already a few hundred residents used it to pay their February rent. No word on how many of these social networkers live in Campus Apartments' Philadelphia properties. According to Ailor, these several hundred users are among 27,363 active SmartClickers across the country. SmartClick also allows students to pay rent through their app on Android phones. 

Campus Apartments has over a hundred apartments in University City that house pupils at Penn, Drexel, USciences, the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill, and the JNA Institute of the Culinary Arts. Nationwide, Campus Apartments offers student housing in 23 states, including California, Texas, and Michigan. 

The student housing provider reports no complaints about Facebook Connect among the few hundred who have used it so far. For the student Luddites among us, Campus Apartments still offers residents the chance to pay rent by check. Expect to see other student housing firms follow suit with a Facebook payment option. No dislike button needed for this. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: John Ailor, Campus Apartments

Hope St. between Palmer and Cecil B. Moore in South Kensington is currently cloaked in abandonment, aside from the trash and weeds that call the block home. Yet, the street may finally live up to its name, as Independents Hall, the popular Philly coworking space, is looking to construct a sustainable cohabitation space between Hope and Howard Sts. This house, called a "K'House,” just received the blessing from the South Kensington Community Partners neighborhood group at a meeting on Thursday, and now awaits an endorsement from the local city councilwoman and the City Planning Commission.

Indy Hall has teamed up with the noted sustainable construction pioneers Postgreen Homes and the architectural firm Digsau to build the K'House. Postgreen plans to build six housing units, designed for both romantic couples and roommates. Each unit will come equipped with its own kitchen and living quarters. Yet, the real story lies in all the shared space between the units, which will be comprised of an industrial kitchen and dining area, a media center, a basement, and a roof deck with a Center City vista. 

As with other Postgreen projects, sustainability will be a guiding principle in the construction of the K'House. This means the house will include "super insulated walls, triple pane windows, Energy Star appliances, high efficiency HVAC, low-flow water fixtures, [and] low VOC [Volatile Organic Compounds] everything,” says Chad Ludeman, the president of Postgreen. Ludeman adds that the location was purposely chosen for its proximity to SEPTA's Berks El stop and walkability. Thus, along with the sustainable elements on the inside, the house will also promote sustainable transportation.

Postgreen and Indy Hall feel as though South Kensington is an ideal neighborhood for the K'House. Ludeman, who lives in the community himself, says that residents can walk to either Northern Liberties or Fishtown, or take a relatively quick train ride to Center City and University City. In addition, "this neighborhood is very much an up-and-coming fringe neighborhood that has passionate residents, both old and new,” points out Ludeman. Finally, Postgreen's president lauds South Kensington for its safety and affordability.

The developers' recent experience with the South Kensington Community Partners only served to bolster their morale in the community. Ludeman is happy to report that the preponderance of feedback from the meeting was supportive or neutral of the K'House, even though the plans call for further density with no further parking. There were some queries about street lighting and fallback plans if the K'House hits a snag, as residents wanted to see the developers' maintain a long-term presence in their neighborhood. Indy Hall's Alex Hillman says that they will continue to listen to their neighbors.

Ludeman is happy with the reaction from the Community Partners, but is already tracing the Postgreen's and Indy Hall's next steps. He says they will next pursue the support of their local councilwoman, Maria Quinones Sanchez, and the City Planning Commission. After that, he anticipates going in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to get a variance for type of use, a shortage on the open space requirement, and lack of parking. For those of you looking for a place to live, the good news is Indy Hall is still accepting applications to join the K'House.

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Sources: Chad Ludeman, Postgreen Homes and Alex Hillman, Independents Hall

University City continued to distinguish itself as a viable office and residential alternative to Center City in 2011. In fact, there were a number of exciting groundbreakings and announcements that dealt with new public space, high-rise development, and corridor enhancement between 29th and 43rd Sts, with the promise of more to come in the new year.
 
The past 12 months were especially noteworthy for all the new public spaces in University City. Rail commuters and pedestrians at 30th St. Station got The Porch, which is an outdoor promenade that featured yoga, a farmer's market, life-sized puppets during the month of November. The University of Pennsylvania opened up a new park to help bridge the wedge between University and Center Cities, which offers walking paths and athletic facilities. Finally, the city experimented with a "parklet" in front of the Green Line Café at 43rd and Baltimore, which meant replacing a few parking spots with outdoor seating.
 
University City also found itself in the throes of interesting high-rise development and corridor beautification efforts. University Place Associates finally got the anchor tenant it needed to announce groundbreaking for 2.0 University Place at 41st and Filbert, which is envisioned to be the city's first LEED pre-certified building. Also, public art flourished on Lancaster Ave. from 35th to 40th Sts. as a means to draw attention to the continued re-development of that corridor.
 
If you like what you're hearing, University City District's Prema Gupta should make you hopeful for 2012. Gupta reveals that the University City District received two grants from the city for pedestrian plazas. She says that her group is considering using them at the intersection of Baltimore Ave, Florence Ave., and 48th St., as well as on the University of the Sciences campus at 42nd and Woodland. 

Sources: Prema Gupta, University City District, and all the 2011 Development news-makers in University City 
Writer: Andy Sharpe

2.0 University Place, a new five-story office building is about to spring up at 41st and Filbert St, feeding off of the University City Science Center’s revitalization of Market St. The community won’t have to wait long, as the groundbreaking will likely come in January or February of next year. The real story behind University Place will be its impressive sustainability elements, which combine to make it Philadelphia’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum pre-certified building. Platinum is the highest status in the United States Green Building Council’s LEED program.

Scott Mazo, a partner with the development firm University Place Associates, beams when he discusses his forthcoming building’s green technology. For one thing, all 96,135 square feet of tenant space will stay temperate with a "state of the art heating and air conditioning system called chilled-beam mechanical systems," says Mazo. Very few buildings currently use chilled-beam technology, although NASA and Harvard and Stamford Universities have experimented with it. These innovators found energy savings of 30-45% with a chilled-beam system. 

To complement the heating and air conditioning technology, 2.0 University Place will also feature other energy saving techniques. Mazo is proud that the building will be cloaked in energy efficient glass, which will block the sun’s radiant heat in the summer, but attract radiant heat in the winter. This will abate the need for heating and air conditioning. Mazo also reveals that the building will utilize environmentally intelligent elevators, which will capture and re-use energy.

Rainwater filtration and transportation are two other important sustainability components for University Place. The space will be accentuated with a garden on the roof, which will collect rainwater that will eventually be recycled as graywater for the building’s toilets. Mazo lauds the building’s location as a perk to workers who ride mass transit. This development is the "epitome of transit-oriented development," says Mazo. The building is convenient to the Market-Frankford Line’s 40th St. Station and SEPTA buses. The building should also contain shower facilities for bicyclists.

While University Place Associates bared their aspirations for the currently empty lot at 41st and Filbert Sts. a couple of years ago, the stagnant economy delayed any hope of construction. Yet, plans to break ground on 2.0 University Place jolted into motion a few weeks ago when the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they would relocate to the building. This gave Mazo the anchor tenant that he and his associates needed to proceed. "The USCIS was the catalyst that made groundbreaking possible," says the developer.

In terms of attracting other tenants, Mazo says his firm is in talks with two prospective companies. While he’s bound by confidentiality in discussing who’s interested in moving into University Place, he does say that he’s interested in drawing in technology and life science companies, along with socially responsible start-ups. They would fit right in with the expanding Science Center and universities nearby. 

Source: Scott Mazo, University Place Associates
Writer: Andy Sharpe

In the shadows of the Community College of Philadelphia and the state office building at Spring Garden St., community youth watch over Broad St. 24 hours a day. At least they do in Meg Saligman’s “Common Threads” mural, which features depictions of local adolescents overlooking the busy Broad St and equally busy Spring Garden subway stop. The mural was re-dedicated this past week, as it underwent about a year of re-glazing and re-painting.

“Common Threads” was originally completed in 1997, and was one of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program’s largest and most expensive murals at the time. The mural is a melange of portraits of Ben Franklin and Creative and Performing Arts High School students and figurines owned by artist Meg Saligman’s grandmother. Another notable aspect to the artwork was it was the first time Photoshop was used on a Philadelphia mural.

One subject in the mural is a boy who went on to become a noted tap dancer. He was on-hand at the dedication to thrill and set off car alarms with his resounding taps of the foot. A girl in the mural became a presidential scholar under the Clinton administration for outstanding achievement in high school. Ironically, Saligman gets calls from other people who swear they’re in the mural, but actually aren’t. She takes these e-mails as a sign of how famous her mural has become.   

Saligman laments that the mural began to fade over time, as it was painted on the western-facing side of the building, which gets considerable sunlight. “It was so sad that ‘Common Threads’ had lost its pop and was fading so fast,” mourns Saligman. Thus, she knew something had to be done to freshen up her mural, as it was continuing to decay. In 2009, the Mural Arts Program and the Saligman Charitable Foundation received money to rehabilitate it. Work began in autumn, 2010 on the top half of the mural, while the bottom half got attention starting in Spring of the next year.

The re-painting and re-glazing of “Common Threads” was a labor of love. It consisted of Saligman, a couple of people from Saligman’s firm MLS Studios, and some interns. All in all, the re-painting cost $20,000, along with donated lifts from United Rentals and hours upon hours of volunteerism. It took a while for the muralist to become truly satisfied with the work. “The mural was missing zing until the very end of renovations,” says Saligman.

With all this in mind, there’s no guarantee the mural will last, and it has nothing to do with sunlight. There have been a number of proposals to alter the building that the mural graces, some of which do not include the mural. As the re-dedication made clear, the mural likely won’t be removed without a quarrel. At least for now, local students will continue to stand guard on North Broad St, as their now grown up models reflect on the power of art, and dance.

Source: Meg Saligman
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Shop-a-holics with finer tastes are used to extravagant unveilings of new products or fashions at the King of Prussia Mall in Montgomery County. On Friday, the largest shopping mall on the East Coast hosted a different kind of unveiling.

Local politicians and mall officials were on hand at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for four new electric vehicle charging stations at the mall. The stations will allow drivers to simply pull up and plug in. Charging will be free during an introductory period, and prices will be established by 350Green, the EV charging service provider working with the mall. Starting  this month, mall shoppers will have access to a pair of Level 2 chargers at 208/420 volts (standard for all electric cars) located in front of Nordstrom in the upper level parking deck. Two more units are slated for installation on the upper level deck of the court near Bloomingdale's.

The self-serve stations, partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, are able to "top off" or "partially charge" an electric vehicle in anywhere from one to two hours. Electric cars are nothing new to King of Prussia Mall. The mall's public safety team uses an electric Gem Car, which operates on a 72-volt battery system.

More than a dozen new plug-in electric car models are expected to arrive on the market by next year, fueled in part by President Obama's goal to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

Source: King of Prussia Mall
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Viridity Energy joined with Mayor Nutter to cut the ribbon on its new Center City office last week, located on the top floor of 10 Penn Center. Viridity is an up-and-coming renewable energy company most notable for working with SEPTA on rail regenerative braking and Jefferson Hospital on wind energy storage. Before the opening of the new office, Viridity was located in Conshohocken, about 14 miles from Center City.

The innovative energy firm is excited to now be located downtown. H.G. Chissell, Viridity’s strategic development director, is convinced that his company made a good decision in moving. He points out that employees, clients, and partners can get to and from New York and Washington D.C. much more quickly and easily from Center City. This improves the lines of communication between Viridity and its growing list of clients and partners. Along with this, Chissell says that many talented, skilled people are attracted to companies with a downtown address.

Another impetus to Viridity’s move is its expansion. "We needed more space because we expanded so quickly," says Chissell. The firm now employs forty people, and continues to make headlines. Chissell is especially eager to point out his company’s increased program development and network operations space at the new location. The office also offers ample conference, cubicle, and technology room.

"The management of the building has a commitment to sustainability in line with ours," praises Chissell. As a matter of fact, the high-rise was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status. Below LEED Platinum, LEED Gold is the second highest sustainability designation. Some of the strategic development director’s favorite sustainable features of the skyscraper include its abundance of recycled content and outside air flow.

Some of the most notable clients include Drexel University, SEPTA, Jefferson Hospital, Con-Ed Electricity, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Meade. When Chissell mentioned ease and speed of traveling to New York and Washington, he may have been thinking about Con-Ed, which is New York City’s energy provider, and Fort Meade, which is located in the Baltimore-Washington area.

Chissell summarizes Viridity’s mission as a company that strives to make its clients and partners more aware of the electricity they use. "Viridity is taking consumers and turning them into prosumers," sums up Chissell. "Prosumers" are professional consumers who are knowledgeable about the production of the energy they utilize. As electricity continues to become more in demand, and Viridity continues its growth pattern, expect to see many more prosumers. 

Source: H.G. Chissell, Viridity Energy
Writer: Andy Sharpe

One Tuesday every month, a bunch of techies, wannabe techies, and people who freely admit they don’t know much about current online trends get together to discuss and learn how to use social networking for social good. This is Philly Net Squared’s Net Tuesday, which has been gaining more and more steam since its inception in May 2008, not to mention bringing an ever growing number of community groups, non-profits, and businesses into the same room.

While it’s difficult to pin down a precise mission for Net Tuesday, founder Seth Horwitz has a general mission for his monthly meetings. “I think of our mission as helping Philly area folks to share our knowledge, passion and concerns around using emerging social web tools for making the world a better place,” explained Horwitz.

Some of Horwitz’s favorite Net Tuesdays have been the “social web samplers,” which consist of informal audience presentations on any on-line social media topic they feel is germane. This leads to fifteen short periods where audience members can elaborate on noteworthy aspects of the audience presentations.

For community groups, non-profits, and businesses, the “crowdsourcing change” Net Tuesdays are especially pertinent. During these meetings, two or three area groups present their on-line social media strategy to the audience, and then receive feedback on what they’re doing right, what they’re doing wrong, and what they’re realty doing wrong. Groups that have volunteered to crowdsource their on-line presence include the Philadelphia Police Athletic League, The Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Painted Bride Art Center.

Philly Net Squared thrives in its use of Facebook, Twitter, and Meetup.com. Horwitz sees two ways in which Facebook enables the Net Tuesdays, which are disseminating information about events to a broad audience and allowing attendees to RSVP. “Twitter also helps to promote the events, and it also enables us to maintain a backchannel during the events, which- combined with our Internet stream- enables us to engage with people not in Philly,” said Horwitz. Finally, Meetup.com has been a reliable RSVP source, as well as a means for members to better connect with each other.

Source: Seth Horwitz
Writer: Andy Sharpe

The Philadelphia-based music label Data Garden will be launching their idiosyncratic brand of music and visual art in a most unusual location for DesignPhiladelphia. This unveiling will take place at Bartram’s Garden, in what is being called "The Switched-On Garden."

Data Garden is the progeny of local musicians Joe Patitucci and Alex Tyson, and web designer Ian Cross. Within Data Garden are a number of musicians and visual artists, with names like Tadoma, Ray, and the Prisms, Cheap Dinosaurs, Cosmic Morning, and DJ Ryan Todd.

Because of the diversity and eclectic nature of Data Garden’s artists, it’s next to impossible to pigeonhole them into any particular genre of music or artwork, says Patitucci. "For instance, Cheap Dinosaurs uses Game Boys and 8-bit sounds, but there’s so much more to their music than what you would normally see classified as 'chiptune' or 'chip' music," elaborated Patitucci.

Yet, the true news of Data Garden’s release will be the convergence of music, nature, and sculpture. To set themselves apart from other labels, Data Garden will highlight their "Switched-On Garden" with "bio-interactive sound sculpture where people can interact with plants and each other to make music," said Patitucci.

To be sure, respect for nature will be high on the agenda for "The Switched-On Garden." To demonstrate this, Patitucci, Tyson, and Cross will be printing download cards on seed paper with water-based ink. This way, attendees can recycle the cards, which will eventually be planted at the garden, after they've downloaded Data Garden's offerings. 

Data Garden is certainly confident that they chose Bartram’s Garden. Tyson explains that the event will specifically highlight many of the garden’s natural gems, including its native plant species, meadow, pond, and trail that runs up to and along the Schuylkill River. Patitucci doesn't hesitate to add that there’s an area on a hill that acts as a "natural amphitheater." He suggests guests bring a blanket and relax on the hill.

The trio also didn’t give a second thought to releasing their album as part of DesignPhiladelphia. "Like Data Garden, DesignPhiladelphia is about finding the unexpected, combining disparate forms of design into an experience that can inspire people to create art themselves," says Cross.

The "Switched-On Garden" will unfold on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 3-8 p.m. at Bartram’s Garden. Admission is free, and the event is wheelchair accessible.

Sources: Joe Patitucci, Ian Cross, and Alex Tyson
Writer: Andy Sharpe

In a few weeks, PECO and the art technology outlet Breadboard will once again collaborate to brighten the Center City skyline. This year, PECO will showcase up to three works of visual artistry each Friday from September through December as scrolling artwork atop its building, says Ben Armstrong, Senior Communications Specialist at PECO. This is known as "Art in the Air," and this is the second year it's been done.

What is even more exciting is that PECO and Breadboard have upped the ante this year by putting in a cash incentive for visual artists. In addition to having their message displayed on PECO's building, artists will now be competing to win $1,000 for the "best in show" message, says Armstrong. The winning artist will also have their display featured for a prolonged period in January. Submissions for September are due by Aug. 23 (more submission info here).

PECO and Breadboard are looking to build off of their success last year with "Art in the Air." Last year's visual feast began on July 4 to commemorate the 34-year anniversary of PECO's scrolling messages, the one-year anniversary of PECO's adoption of LED lights, and Independence Day. From then on, the display ran on Fridays through out the year, ultimately featuring "over twenty local artists," said Armstrong.

PECO's LED lights enable the electricity provider to provide this visual art show. "The old lights limited us to 72 characters; letters, numbers, and spaces," said PECO's Communications Specialist. "LED lights let us use full animation and colors." Indeed, the PECO building has become quite colorful and animated in the two years since it switched to LED lights.

PECO has provided the top of its building at 23rd and Market Streets as a place for local non-profits and community groups to spread their message since 1976. Along with that, PECO also uses its scrolling marquee to provide energy-saving tips for customers and tourists alike.  

Source: Ben Armstrong, PECO
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Consider it crowdsourced city planning. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's Master Plan is open for public comment until August 26. Since June 13, when the summary report was released, Master Planning Manager Sarah Thorpe says about a hundred comments have come in, and the entire effort has been a significant public process. "Urban planning has changed a lot over last 30 years," says Thorpe. "Today, people are very interested in how the environment develops. We are addressing different problems and a different demographic."

Essential to the new master plan is access. It's not your 18th century waterfront model. When I-95 was built, the Philadelphia stretch of the Delaware river was an aesthetically bereft industrial zone best left to longshoremen. Interstate 95 is a huge barrier, says Thorpe of the 1960s era public works project that was once considered a beneficial rampart. "People didn't want to live next to a sugar factory or a coal yard." Now, she says, the highway keeps residents from what they want. The main point of the DRWC's master plan is to make 95 less of an impedance.

Philadelphia 2035, the citywide planning effort, is underway, but Thorpe says the waterfront couldn't wait. While there are actually 47 streets that cross over or under the interstate, "it's more of a perceived barrier in peoples' minds."

The new plan creates connections in two ways, says Thorpe: by adding destinations to  the riverbank, and by making connections more attractive through lighting and landscaping. Several early action projects, the Race Street Pier and Washington Avenue Green, were completed during the Master Plan design phase as a way to give the public a glimpse of the future.

As far as feedback, Thorpe says comments have ranged from overarching issues like density, boat access and parking, to small problems like typos in the document. After the August 26 deadline, Thorpe and team will compile public input, make judgement calls on priority, and expect to release the final revised version in October. But, stresses Thorpe, it will be a living document, subject to accommodation and change.

Source: Sarah Thorpe, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Sue Spolan

According to Ori Feibush, a local real estate entrepreneur and the founder of South Street's OCF Realty, the process of finding a house to buy in Philadelphia--or anywhere else in the country, for that matter--is exponentially harder and more complicated than it actually needs to be. Partially, says Feibush, that's due to the fact that for most prospective buyers these days, the process generally begins with a search on a website that is incredibly difficult to navigate. "I liken them to Craigslist," Feibush adds. "They're often used, but they generally just create frustration for the end-user."

As it happens, Feibush thinks he's come up with a viable solution: An animated real estate-listings website that he likens to "a SimCity map of Philadelphia, and one that really tells the story of Philadelphia."

While that may indeed sound like a decidedly odd concept, consider the details: The website's map will feature precise boundaries for the city's neighborhoods, which will discourage crafty real estate agents from referring to a Strawberry Mansion property, for instance, as being located in the Art Museum District. As for the listings themselves, says Feibush, they'll be limited to price, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms. "You don't need to have a thousand options," he insists.

And yet on the other hand, the city-specific real estate map will come complete with copious details in the form of content from Naked Philly, the real estate blog maintained by OCF. "We'll have certain bars highlighted, certain restaurants highlighted," says Feibush. "We're really just trying to simplify the process (of home-buying) in an almost fundamentally stupid kind of way."

Feibush also insists that the new website and its attendant map won't be used to give preference to his company's listings. The site, which will be located at http://nakedphilly.com/map, is scheduled to launch at the end of June.

Source: Ori Feibush, OCF Realty
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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