Sunday night George & I stopped in Book Trader on our way home from Shakespeare in Clark Park. I picked up a new book by Judith Rodin (former president of Penn). The book details the West Philadelphia revitalization projects begun by Penn during her tenure. The purchase is quite timely considering George & I just enjoyed a very nice evening in an area that we probably wouldn’t have been frequenting if these projects hadn’t taken place.
West Philadelphia was a prime example of urban blight and decline just 10-15 years ago. It could have gone either way, but with the fortune it was granted by President Rodin, then Mayor Edward Rendell (note: I’m a unapologetic Rendell fan), a host of neighborhood activists, & some generally pissed off West Philadelphians we have the thriving, diverse, & growing neighborhoods we see today.
The University & Urban Revival Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets By Judith Rodin (c) 2007 University of Pennsylvania Press ISBN-13:978-0-8122-4022-1
