Changing city: How should Philly view its historical buildings?

As Philly grows, historical preservationists worry that the city is sacrificing its built heritage for the sake of development.

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Jewelers Row, one of the oldest diamond districts in America, is threatened by a plan to construct a 29-story residential tower. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

Jewelers Row, one of the oldest diamond districts in America, is threatened by a plan to construct a 29-story residential tower. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

With the construction of new building projects being announced almost weekly, Philadelphia’s built environment is changing rapidly. And while some praise the city’s growth as long overdue, others feel that the city is sacrificing its history for the sake of development. Faye Anderson of All That Philly Jazz will talk about the disappearance of historic landmarks associated with Philly’s African American history. Yue Wu of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation will walk us through the changes happening in Chinatown. And preservationist Oscar Beisert, who worked on the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Task Force, will zoom out and talk about what the city is doing to preserve its historic spaces.

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