Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia's population growth has slowed after a strong two decades, but a bright spot is the city's continued increase in immigrants. Research shows that new arrivals build powerful neighborhood networks and open businesses at higher rates than others, making positive use of the city’s existing infrastructure. What if we treated this as an urban development opportunity unto itself? What would an economic development strategy for Market East look like if its starting point was to empower and uplift the community that is already here in addition to supporting newly arriving immigrants? What if housing and entrepreneurship support for new arrivals became a dedicated initiative for Philadelphia?
This exhibition and panel explores these questions through work put forth by graduate architecture students at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.