‘Rightsizing’ cities like Philadelphia

Cara Bertron and Dave Heller discuss “rightsizing” and preservation strategies to help shape and strengthen legacy cities like Philadelphia.

Even though Philadelphia’s population decline has halted, it and other older industrial cities have lost significant population over the past 50 years. Cara Bertron and Dave Heller discuss “rightsizing” — adapting the physical city for current and expected populations — and how preservation strategies can help shape and strengthen legacy cities.

Bertron directs the Rightsizing Cities Initiative at PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm. She’s speaking on the topic Wednesday at the University of the Arts. It’s part of Gray Area’s “Preservation Provocateurs” speaker series.