Imagining Philadelphia

Imagining Philadelphia

Author: Scott Gabriel Knowles

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 2011-07-19

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 0812205960

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When Philadelphia's iconoclastic city planner Edmund N. Bacon looked into his crystal ball in 1959, he saw a remarkable vision: "Philadelphia as an unmatched expression of the vitality of American technology and culture." In that year Bacon penned an essay for Greater Philadelphia Magazine, originally entitled "Philadelphia in the Year 2009," in which he imagined a city remade, modernized in time to host the 1976 Philadelphia World's Fair and Bicentennial celebration, an event that would be a catalyst for a golden age of urban renewal. What Bacon did not predict was the long, bitter period of economic decline, population dispersal, and racial confrontation that Philadelphia was about to enter. As such, his essay comes to us as a time capsule, a message from one of the city's most influential and controversial shapers that prompts discussions of what was, what might have been, and what could yet be in the city's future. Imagining Philadelphia brings together Bacon's original essay, reprinted here for the first time in fifty years, and a set of original essays on the past, present, and future of urban planning in Philadelphia. In addition to examining Bacon and his motivations for writing the piece, the essays assess the wider context of Philadelphia's planning, architecture, and real estate communities at the time, how city officials were reacting to economic decline, what national precedents shaped Bacon's faith in grand forms of urban renewal, and whether or not it is desirable or even possible to adopt similarly ambitious visions for contemporary urban planning and economic development. The volume closes with a vision of what Philadelphia might look like fifty years from now.


Book Synopsis Imagining Philadelphia by : Scott Gabriel Knowles

Download or read book Imagining Philadelphia written by Scott Gabriel Knowles and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2011-07-19 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Philadelphia's iconoclastic city planner Edmund N. Bacon looked into his crystal ball in 1959, he saw a remarkable vision: "Philadelphia as an unmatched expression of the vitality of American technology and culture." In that year Bacon penned an essay for Greater Philadelphia Magazine, originally entitled "Philadelphia in the Year 2009," in which he imagined a city remade, modernized in time to host the 1976 Philadelphia World's Fair and Bicentennial celebration, an event that would be a catalyst for a golden age of urban renewal. What Bacon did not predict was the long, bitter period of economic decline, population dispersal, and racial confrontation that Philadelphia was about to enter. As such, his essay comes to us as a time capsule, a message from one of the city's most influential and controversial shapers that prompts discussions of what was, what might have been, and what could yet be in the city's future. Imagining Philadelphia brings together Bacon's original essay, reprinted here for the first time in fifty years, and a set of original essays on the past, present, and future of urban planning in Philadelphia. In addition to examining Bacon and his motivations for writing the piece, the essays assess the wider context of Philadelphia's planning, architecture, and real estate communities at the time, how city officials were reacting to economic decline, what national precedents shaped Bacon's faith in grand forms of urban renewal, and whether or not it is desirable or even possible to adopt similarly ambitious visions for contemporary urban planning and economic development. The volume closes with a vision of what Philadelphia might look like fifty years from now.


Imagining Philadelphia

Imagining Philadelphia

Author: Philip Stevick

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 1996-08-29

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9780812233773

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Some travelers visited the classic destinations of earlier times, such as the great waterworks complex, and some reacted generally to the tone and temper of the city. Together, these accounts fall into patterns that often convey a mythic reading of the city, as a place of uncommon order and symmetry, for example, or a place of great torpor and dullness, or a city extraordinary for the way in which elements of wilderness interpenetrate the metropolitan core.


Book Synopsis Imagining Philadelphia by : Philip Stevick

Download or read book Imagining Philadelphia written by Philip Stevick and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 1996-08-29 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some travelers visited the classic destinations of earlier times, such as the great waterworks complex, and some reacted generally to the tone and temper of the city. Together, these accounts fall into patterns that often convey a mythic reading of the city, as a place of uncommon order and symmetry, for example, or a place of great torpor and dullness, or a city extraordinary for the way in which elements of wilderness interpenetrate the metropolitan core.


Imagining Argentina

Imagining Argentina

Author: Lawrence Thornton

Publisher: Bantam

Published: 1991-11-01

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 0553345796

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“Remarkable . . . deeply inventive . . . Thorton has imagined Argentina truly; his inspired fable troubles and feeds our own intriguing imagining.”—Los Angeles Times Imagining Argentina is set in the dark days of the late 1970's, when thousands of Argentineans disappeared without a trace into the general's prison cells and torture chambers. When Carlos Ruweda's wife is suddenly taken from him, he discovers a magical gift: In waking dreams, he had clear visions of the fates of “the disappeared.” But he cannot “imagine” what has happened to his own wife. Driven to near madness, his mind cannot be taken away: imagination, stories, and the mystical secrets of the human spirit. Praise for Imagining Argentina “A harrowing, brilliant novel.”—The New Yorker “A powerful new novel . . . Thorton seems to have wedded his study of such writers as Borges and Marquez with thy his own instinctive gift for metaphor, and in doing so, created his own brand of magical realism”—The New York Times “Imagining Argentina is a slim volume filled with beautiful writing. It is an exciting adventure story. It is a haunting love story. And it is a story for all time.”—Detroit Free Press “The writing is crystalline, the metaphors compelling . . . Its central theme is universal.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “In a time when much North American fiction is contained by crabbed realism, Thorton takes for his material one of the bleaker recent instances of human cruelty, sees in it the enduring nobility of the human spirit and imagines a book that celebrates that spirit.”—The Washington Post Book World “A powerful first novel and a manifesto for the memorializing power of literature.”—The New York Times Book Review “A profoundly hopeful book.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer


Book Synopsis Imagining Argentina by : Lawrence Thornton

Download or read book Imagining Argentina written by Lawrence Thornton and published by Bantam. This book was released on 1991-11-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Remarkable . . . deeply inventive . . . Thorton has imagined Argentina truly; his inspired fable troubles and feeds our own intriguing imagining.”—Los Angeles Times Imagining Argentina is set in the dark days of the late 1970's, when thousands of Argentineans disappeared without a trace into the general's prison cells and torture chambers. When Carlos Ruweda's wife is suddenly taken from him, he discovers a magical gift: In waking dreams, he had clear visions of the fates of “the disappeared.” But he cannot “imagine” what has happened to his own wife. Driven to near madness, his mind cannot be taken away: imagination, stories, and the mystical secrets of the human spirit. Praise for Imagining Argentina “A harrowing, brilliant novel.”—The New Yorker “A powerful new novel . . . Thorton seems to have wedded his study of such writers as Borges and Marquez with thy his own instinctive gift for metaphor, and in doing so, created his own brand of magical realism”—The New York Times “Imagining Argentina is a slim volume filled with beautiful writing. It is an exciting adventure story. It is a haunting love story. And it is a story for all time.”—Detroit Free Press “The writing is crystalline, the metaphors compelling . . . Its central theme is universal.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “In a time when much North American fiction is contained by crabbed realism, Thorton takes for his material one of the bleaker recent instances of human cruelty, sees in it the enduring nobility of the human spirit and imagines a book that celebrates that spirit.”—The Washington Post Book World “A powerful first novel and a manifesto for the memorializing power of literature.”—The New York Times Book Review “A profoundly hopeful book.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer


A Greene Country Towne

A Greene Country Towne

Author: Alan C. Braddock

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2016-12-12

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0271078928

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An unconventional history of Philadelphia that operates at the threshold of cultural and environmental studies, A Greene Country Towne expands the meaning of community beyond people to encompass nonhuman beings, things, and forces. By examining a diverse range of cultural acts and material objects created in Philadelphia—from Native American artifacts, early stoves, and literary works to public parks, photographs, and paintings—through the lens of new materialism, the essays in A Greene Country Towne ask us to consider an urban environmental history in which humans are not the only protagonists. This collection reimagines the city as a system of constantly evolving constituents and agencies that have interacted over time, a system powerfully captured by Philadelphia artists, writers, architects, and planners since the seventeenth century. In addition to the editors, contributors to this volume are Maria Farland, Nate Gabriel, Andrea L. M. Hansen, Scott Hicks, Michael Dean Mackintosh, Amy E. Menzer, Stephen Nepa, John Ott, Sue Ann Prince, and Mary I. Unger.


Book Synopsis A Greene Country Towne by : Alan C. Braddock

Download or read book A Greene Country Towne written by Alan C. Braddock and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2016-12-12 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unconventional history of Philadelphia that operates at the threshold of cultural and environmental studies, A Greene Country Towne expands the meaning of community beyond people to encompass nonhuman beings, things, and forces. By examining a diverse range of cultural acts and material objects created in Philadelphia—from Native American artifacts, early stoves, and literary works to public parks, photographs, and paintings—through the lens of new materialism, the essays in A Greene Country Towne ask us to consider an urban environmental history in which humans are not the only protagonists. This collection reimagines the city as a system of constantly evolving constituents and agencies that have interacted over time, a system powerfully captured by Philadelphia artists, writers, architects, and planners since the seventeenth century. In addition to the editors, contributors to this volume are Maria Farland, Nate Gabriel, Andrea L. M. Hansen, Scott Hicks, Michael Dean Mackintosh, Amy E. Menzer, Stephen Nepa, John Ott, Sue Ann Prince, and Mary I. Unger.


Ed Bacon

Ed Bacon

Author: Gregory L. Heller

Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: 2013-03-23

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 081220784X

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In the mid-twentieth century, as Americans abandoned city centers in droves to pursue picket-fenced visions of suburbia, architect and urban planner Edmund Bacon turned his sights on shaping urban America. As director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Bacon forged new approaches to neighborhood development and elevated Philadelphia's image to the level of great world cities. Urban development came with costs, however, and projects that displaced residents and replaced homes with highways did not go uncriticized, nor was every development that Bacon envisioned brought to fruition. Despite these challenges, Bacon oversaw the planning and implementation of dozens of redesigned urban spaces: the restored colonial neighborhood of Society Hill, the new office development of Penn Center, and the transit-oriented shopping center of Market East. Ed Bacon is the first biography of this charismatic but controversial figure. Gregory L. Heller traces the trajectory of Bacon's two-decade tenure as city planning director, which coincided with a transformational period in American planning history. Edmund Bacon is remembered as a larger-than-life personality, but in Heller's detailed account, his successes owed as much to his savvy negotiation of city politics and the pragmatic particulars of his vision. In the present day, as American cities continue to struggle with shrinkage and economic restructuring, Heller's insightful biography reveals an inspiring portrait of determination and a career-long effort to transform planning ideas into reality.


Book Synopsis Ed Bacon by : Gregory L. Heller

Download or read book Ed Bacon written by Gregory L. Heller and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2013-03-23 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the mid-twentieth century, as Americans abandoned city centers in droves to pursue picket-fenced visions of suburbia, architect and urban planner Edmund Bacon turned his sights on shaping urban America. As director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Bacon forged new approaches to neighborhood development and elevated Philadelphia's image to the level of great world cities. Urban development came with costs, however, and projects that displaced residents and replaced homes with highways did not go uncriticized, nor was every development that Bacon envisioned brought to fruition. Despite these challenges, Bacon oversaw the planning and implementation of dozens of redesigned urban spaces: the restored colonial neighborhood of Society Hill, the new office development of Penn Center, and the transit-oriented shopping center of Market East. Ed Bacon is the first biography of this charismatic but controversial figure. Gregory L. Heller traces the trajectory of Bacon's two-decade tenure as city planning director, which coincided with a transformational period in American planning history. Edmund Bacon is remembered as a larger-than-life personality, but in Heller's detailed account, his successes owed as much to his savvy negotiation of city politics and the pragmatic particulars of his vision. In the present day, as American cities continue to struggle with shrinkage and economic restructuring, Heller's insightful biography reveals an inspiring portrait of determination and a career-long effort to transform planning ideas into reality.


Design of Cities

Design of Cities

Author: Edmund N. Bacon

Publisher:

Published: 1975

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Design of Cities by : Edmund N. Bacon

Download or read book Design of Cities written by Edmund N. Bacon and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Imagining the Holy Land

Imagining the Holy Land

Author: Burke O. Long

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9780253341365

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At the Chautauqua Institution in New York, visitors could walk down Palestine Avenue to "Palestine" and a model of Jerusalem, or along Morris Avenue to a scale model of the "Jewish Tabernacle." At the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, a replica of Ottoman Jerusalem covered eleven acres, while today, 300 miles to the southeast, a seven-story-high Christ of the Ozarks stands above a modern re-creation of the Holy Land set in the Arkansas hills."--BOOK JACKET.


Book Synopsis Imagining the Holy Land by : Burke O. Long

Download or read book Imagining the Holy Land written by Burke O. Long and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the Chautauqua Institution in New York, visitors could walk down Palestine Avenue to "Palestine" and a model of Jerusalem, or along Morris Avenue to a scale model of the "Jewish Tabernacle." At the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, a replica of Ottoman Jerusalem covered eleven acres, while today, 300 miles to the southeast, a seven-story-high Christ of the Ozarks stands above a modern re-creation of the Holy Land set in the Arkansas hills."--BOOK JACKET.


I, Eliza Hamilton

I, Eliza Hamilton

Author: Susan Holloway Scott

Publisher: Kensington Books

Published: 2017-09-26

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 1496712536

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The strong-willed, heroic wife of Alexander Hamilton tells her story in this historical novel by the bestselling author of The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr. As the daughter of a respected general, Elizabeth Schuyler is accustomed to socializing with dignitaries and soldiers. But no visitor to her parents’ home has affected her so strongly as Alexander Hamilton, a charismatic, ambitious aide to George Washington. They marry quickly, and despite the tumult of the American Revolution, Eliza is confident in her husband and in her role as his helpmate. But it is in the aftermath of war, as Hamilton becomes one of the country’s most important figures, that she truly comes into her own In the new capital, Eliza becomes an adored member of society, respected for her fierce devotion to Hamilton as well as her grace. Behind closed doors, she astutely manages their expanding household and assists her husband with his political writings. Yet some challenges are impossible to prepare for. Through scandal, betrayal, heartbreak, and tragedy, she is tested again and again. In the end, it will be Eliza’s strength that makes her not only Hamilton’s most crucial ally in life, but also his most loyal advocate after his death, determined to preserve his legacy while pursuing her own path through the nation they helped shape together. “Scott expertly handles the complex history and complicated romance, moving the personal and political plots briskly. Readers will be captivated by the affecting portrait Scott has painted of Eliza as an American patriot who was witness and counsel to Alexander's enduring legacy.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Your next Hamilton obsession.” —Bustle


Book Synopsis I, Eliza Hamilton by : Susan Holloway Scott

Download or read book I, Eliza Hamilton written by Susan Holloway Scott and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The strong-willed, heroic wife of Alexander Hamilton tells her story in this historical novel by the bestselling author of The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr. As the daughter of a respected general, Elizabeth Schuyler is accustomed to socializing with dignitaries and soldiers. But no visitor to her parents’ home has affected her so strongly as Alexander Hamilton, a charismatic, ambitious aide to George Washington. They marry quickly, and despite the tumult of the American Revolution, Eliza is confident in her husband and in her role as his helpmate. But it is in the aftermath of war, as Hamilton becomes one of the country’s most important figures, that she truly comes into her own In the new capital, Eliza becomes an adored member of society, respected for her fierce devotion to Hamilton as well as her grace. Behind closed doors, she astutely manages their expanding household and assists her husband with his political writings. Yet some challenges are impossible to prepare for. Through scandal, betrayal, heartbreak, and tragedy, she is tested again and again. In the end, it will be Eliza’s strength that makes her not only Hamilton’s most crucial ally in life, but also his most loyal advocate after his death, determined to preserve his legacy while pursuing her own path through the nation they helped shape together. “Scott expertly handles the complex history and complicated romance, moving the personal and political plots briskly. Readers will be captivated by the affecting portrait Scott has painted of Eliza as an American patriot who was witness and counsel to Alexander's enduring legacy.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Your next Hamilton obsession.” —Bustle


Literature, Philosophy & the Imagination

Literature, Philosophy & the Imagination

Author: Albert William Levi

Publisher:

Published: 1962

Total Pages: 548

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Literature, Philosophy & the Imagination by : Albert William Levi

Download or read book Literature, Philosophy & the Imagination written by Albert William Levi and published by . This book was released on 1962 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


National (un)Belonging: Bengali American Women on Imagining and Contesting Culture and Identity

National (un)Belonging: Bengali American Women on Imagining and Contesting Culture and Identity

Author: Roksana Badruddoja

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2022-07-18

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 9004514570

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In National (un)Belonging, Badruddoja focuses on the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, citizenship, and nationalism among contemporary South Asian American women. Critiquing binary and hierarchical thinking prominent in cultural discourse, Badruddoja conveys the multidimensional nature of identity and draws a compelling illustration of why difference matters.


Book Synopsis National (un)Belonging: Bengali American Women on Imagining and Contesting Culture and Identity by : Roksana Badruddoja

Download or read book National (un)Belonging: Bengali American Women on Imagining and Contesting Culture and Identity written by Roksana Badruddoja and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2022-07-18 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In National (un)Belonging, Badruddoja focuses on the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, citizenship, and nationalism among contemporary South Asian American women. Critiquing binary and hierarchical thinking prominent in cultural discourse, Badruddoja conveys the multidimensional nature of identity and draws a compelling illustration of why difference matters.