Flourishing Beyond the Legacy of Oil
The symposium brought together students, academics, government, legal, and planning representatives, and industry professionals, to talk about the future of cities like Philadelphia, as they deal with the transforming influence of oil and other energy sources. We were joined by 18 experts speaking from their professional perspectives about the impact of oil, who have hands-on experience redesigning the city of Philadelphia for a sustainable future.
Invited Guests
Christopher Barr: Principal, Post & Schell, P.C.
Robert Bereskin: President, Bereskin & Associates
Genie Birch: Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania
Steve Cobb: Director of Legislation, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, City of Philadelphia
Thomas Dalfo: Vice President, Philadelphia Economic Development Corporation
Harold Y. Finigan: Energy Investor
John Haak: Senior Planner, Philadelphia Planning Commission
Dennis Hardy: Naval Research Laboratory, retired.
Donna Henry: Executive Director, Southwest Community Development Corporation
David Hughes: Associate Professor of Anthropology, Rutgers University
Sara Pantelidou: Geologist, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Harris M. Steinberg: Executive Director, PennPraxis, School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
Joe Syrnick: President, Schuylkill River Development Corporation
Peter Trueblood: Retired, Chevron Corporation
Paul Ugor: Professor, Centre of West African Studies, University of Birmingham
Joanna Underwood: President, Energy Vision
Tom Washbon: Industrial Development Manager, Norfolk Southern Corporation
Bill Westhafer: Principal Architect, Environetics®
Conference Details
Friday, January 18th, 2013
Venue:
Katharine Hepburn Teaching Theater, Bryn Mawr College
101 North Merion Avenue,
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Agenda
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:30 Opening remarks - Carola Hein,
of Growth and Structure of Cities
9:45-10:45 Concurrent Panels
10:45-11:15 Coffee Break
11:15-12:15 Full Symposium
12:15-1:30 Buffet Lunch
1:45-3:15 Design Exercise
3:15-3:45 Coffee Break
3:45-4:50 Reporting Out
4:50-5:50 Closing Remarks – David Ross, Professor of Economics
The Concurrent Panels session will be student-moderated and focus on a series of questions around the issues of oil and energy in the 21st century. These conversations will give participants a sense of the vigorous sharing of information that has delighted the students, faculty, and guest speakers all semester long.
Enriched by the conversations of the morning, participants will be invited to reconvene for the Design Exercise session, in which they will be assigned to one of six planning teams that will try to imagine and create a practical vision of Philadelphia flourishing beyond the legacy of oil.
Reporting Out session provides a chance to share the fruits of the brainstorming from Design Exercise, and discuss major lessons among all students, guest speakers and the general audience.
