Social Development: Understanding the Past to Build the Future

Abstract

Philadelphia’s unique urban fabric provides the opportunity to create a more cohesive urban fabric hat provides opportunities for diverse communities within its neighborhoods. It’s historical hierarchical street system provided the city with the ability to create multi-income blocks for hundreds of years. Modern developers are threatening this cohesive system, with lack of interest in maintaining the housing system that has been present since the city’s origins. This project aims to re-establish the hierarchical system in modern development. Using the rowhouse typology as a base, this project provides a modernizing neighborhood with a new development that provides all residents opportunities for housing.