Why did we film so much in Philadelphia for our first two episodes now being edited that trace the evolution of North American cities from the turn of the 19th century through today?
If one had a checklist of all the things cities have tried to remake themselves, especially since World War II, Philadelphia would show up in almost every category – some worked, some didn’t and some worked for awhile:
- historic districts
- national park
- downtown shopping mall
- new convention center
- public market
- hundreds of sidewalk eateries
- meaningful residential development
- reconfigured mass transit
- waterfront dreams
- transit mall
- performing arts district
- festival marketplace
- dynamic business improvement association
- proposed downtown sports arena
And Philadelphia had Edmund Bacon, one of the leading city shapers of the 20th century, who headed the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 1949-1970 and was a force in the city for half a century (I took Bacon’s course on cities while a grad student at Wharton and Penn’s Design School).
Philadelphia is also a leading example of how a city that was once a manufacturing powerhouse dubbed “the workshop of the world” is now increasingly dependent on knowledge-based entities such as universities, medical centers and research institutes. And it’s a city that has blossomed into a major tourist destination – not bad for a place that in the 1970s boasted the promotional ad campaign “Philadelphia isn’t as bad as Philadelphians say it is.”
After watching Saving the City, you will never look at cities in the same way again. And we hope you will be inspired to act and encourage others to act to make a difference in your local communities.
Check out our work and let us know what you think. Read the original newsletter for more behind-the-scenes insights.
Meet Isaiah and Julia Zagar. Isaiah is the renowned glass and tile muralist whose work is found all over South Philadelphia and is highlighted in the popular Magic Gardens on South Street. Watch more videos.