Julia Bell
PlanPhilly
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Past articles by Julia:
Before design community, chief of new Department of Planning & Development charts course ahead for Philly’s real estate development
The myriad departments overseeing property development in Philadelphia have acted like islands, marooned on different floors of government buildings. But a recent tidal shift… → Read More
Civic Design Review Meeting Offers Hesitant Praise to Proposed Developments.
The Civic Design Review Committee's (CDR) August session granted approval with numerous suggestions. While both were met with general praise from the staffers, there… → Read More
Play Streets, the Parks and Rec program that tells Philly kids: “Go run around in the middle of the road”
When the sign is up, children can cross the street without looking both ways. The usual sounds of rumbling engines and car tires treading over pavement are gone, because there are no cars. Tucked away on over 500 residential one-way streets across Philadelphia are Play Streets, blocks that cordon off traffic to reserve the road for children at play. From 10 am to 4 pm, a sign placed at the foot… → Read More
Eyes on the Regression Line: Jane Jacobs undergoes a statistic analysis
What led a statistics PhD from Harvard to replicate the work of a journalist who never finished college? Shane Jensen, now a professor at the Wharton School of Business, first read Jane Jacob’s pioneering work on urban renewal, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, as an undergraduate. In the book, Jacobs posits that more “eyes on the street” increase vibrancy and, consequently, safety in… → Read More
Art Commission OKs art installation behind the Art Museum and considers concepts for Live! Casino’s public art
The Art Commission approved two art pieces that use unusual canvases—the sky and a forthcoming casino—at their monthly meeting Wednesday morning. The commissioners granted… → Read More
Mifflin Square Park improvements start with small moves, build toward big plans
The typical hallmarks of a neighborhood convening were there: Parents dutifully pointing their smartphones at their teenagers dancing on the stage. Neighbors milling about… → Read More
Plan to install replicas of early Water Works sculptures approved by Art Commission
A visitor to the Philadelphia Water Works today observes a different landscape than visitors did in the early 19th century. Although the gritty working… → Read More