TEDxPhilly talks The City on November 8

TEDxPhilly, a daylong idea conference, returns for its second year on Tuesday, November 8. This year’s theme is “The City,” bringing together creative thinkers and doers whose work explores issues, conflicts, design, and innovations it our cities.

TEDxPhilly’s diverse list of speakers and performers reads like a hit list of some of Philly’s brightest urban thinkers and personalities. Of that supercharged list, here are the five talks I’m the most excited for:

Urban Art Intervention

Haas&Hahn aka Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn are an artist duo, known for their ambitious artwork. Their portfolio includes massive, colorful murals painted in Brazil’s favelas, painted with local kids. The duo is in residency with Mural Arts currently.

Seeing Public Health

Amy Hillier is a Planning Professor at PennDesign whose research focuses on the spatial analysis of public health data, helping understand issues like food access looks like in different neighborhoods and childhood obesity.

Clean Water City

Glen Abrams is the Manager of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the Water Department’s Office of Watersheds. His office’s innovative pilot projects are reshaping the city through many of the green infrastructure initiatives being implemented under the “Green City, Clean Waters” plan.

Constructing Nature

Sculptor Janet Echelman and landscape architect Susan Weiler will discuss their environmental design work. Janet creates sculptures that are designed to work with nature, and Susan’s work often focuses on the intersection of art and landscape.

Reboot The City

Jen Pahlka is founder and executive director of Code for America, which works with web developers and cities like Philadelphia to promote public service and more transparent government.

TEDxPhilly Promo from Free Film Collective on Vimeo.

Tickets are $100, which includes the all-day event, lunch, and the evening reception. Tickets are still available, and can be purchasedonline.

See you there?

TEDxPhilly. Tuesday, November 8, 9am-6pm. Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 North Broad Street.