So many accomplishments…and so nicely presented, too!
A little light on the posting these days. Too much eggnog. We hope you’re intrigued by the above graphic. Excuse me. INFOgraphic. I’ll bet you’re wondering who has gone to such lengths to capture Philadelphia’s Complete Streets-related accomplishments in one eye-catching place, and to what end?
The short answer is, we did, because it is our responsibility to track the many moving pieces in Philadelphia’s ever-changing built environment in order to keep us on course and positioned to achieve the lofty goals we’ve set for ourselves. For the full answer, you’ll need to wait until January 10th, when PCPC proudly hosts The Future is Now: Philadelphia2035 Update. Click on the link to RSVP and learn more. If you come to the event, you’ll see many more graphics like that, AND you’ll get a keepsake that helps tell Philadelphia’s story. Come on down!
So in the planning version, Jane Jacobs would play this part. And we would keep Patrick Stewart, obviously.
Now that we’re thinking about it, the planning process sort of mirrors Ebeneezer Scrooge’s story, at least with regards to the three spirits that visit him. Go with us on this. So first, to make any solid plan, you need to have a rock solid Ghost of Planning Past, who gets real and tells you like it is: “There are real reasons that the x planning district has ended up this way, Scrooge Philly, so this is what you need to work with as you look ahead.”
It’s hard to get more cheerful than a Muppet. We’d also like to throw out there that Michael Caine gives Sir Patrick a serious run for his money in this version.
Then you want a grounded but rosy picture of the present. It’s all about identifying and capitalizing on strengths, maintaining a healthy amount of aspiration but never forgetting what the first spirit told you. That’s what the Ghost of Planning Present is all about.
And finally, you need to man up and look forward into the great unknown. Typically, we like to adopt a tone that is slightly more upbeat than the one typically laid out in most tellings of a Christmas Carol, but there’s a crucial lesson in the doom and gloom of the third spirit. The Ghost of Planning Yet To Come is, in the traditional story, is doing trend-based forecasting: Here’s what happens, Scrooge Philadelphia, if you stay on the current course.
The third ghost is terrifying, so we went with the cartoon version.
It’s not always pretty, but knowing what the trend scenario is allows you to figure out where there are opportunities to make an investment, or change a policy, and chart a brighter future. The way Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning, all refreshed and ready to make a new life for himself and those around him…that’s how we feel about Philadelphia every morning (we promise), and that’s how we want you to feel as we head into our third year of planning and implementing a 25 year vision for this great city.
Ok, definitely too much eggnog.
