Opinion Eyes on the Street

March 12-16: Photographer Vincent Feldman, Next Great City coalition meeting, The Library in the City, benchmarking commercial buildings

PlanPhilly staff

March 12, 2012

(What is the future of the Library in the City? Learn more at a panel discussion Wednesday night.)

Vincent Feldman and the Abandoned City

Tuesday, March 13, 4:30-6:30. Temple University, Paley Library Lecture Hall, 927 W. Berks Street. Photographer Vincent Feldman has made a career of photographing vacant buildings in Philadelphia and around the world. Temple’s Ken Finkel will join Feldman in conversation about his art and the city. Free.

Next Great City Coalition Meeting

Wednesday, March 14, Noon-2pm. AFSCME Building auditorium, 1606 Walnut Street. Discuss Next Great City’s five goals for 2012 and get updates on two: Karen Black will discuss vacant land reform legislation and Janet Milkman will discuss commercial energy efficiency disclosure. Lunch will be provided. RSVP by Monday, March 12 to sharp@pennfuture.org.

The Library in the City

Wednesday, March 14, 6-7:30pm. Free Library Parkway Central Branch, 1901 Vine Street. What is the role of the library in a 21st century city? How should the Free Library focus its resources in these lean times? The Free Library is hosting a panel discussion about the library’s future on the heels of a new Pew report about the shifting and increasing demands on the library. WHYY’s Dave Davies will moderate a panel discussion featuring Siobhan Reardon (Free Library of Philadelphia), Michael DiBerardinis (Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources), Irv Ackelsberg (Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia), Thomas Galante (Queens Borough Public Library), and Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr (Pennsylvania House).

Taking the Pulse of Commercial Buildings

Thursday, March 15, 6-8:30pm. Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Learn how cities around the country, from New York to Seattle, are starting to set benchmarks for utility use in commercial buildings. Philadelphia is considering legislation to require benchmarking. A panel discussion will be moderated by Janet Milkman (Delaware Valley Green Building Council) and include Andrew Burr (Institute for Market Transformation), Alex Dews (Mayor’s Office of Sustainability), and Matt Weko (Jones Lang LaSalle). Free; register online.

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