Colin Fredrickson, Growth and Structure of Cities, HC ’20

The University and the City

Faculty Adviser: Jennifer Hurley

Field Site: Philadelphia City Planning Commission

Field Supervisor: David Kanthor

Course Description:

The urban university has long been a defining factor in American urban space, seeding some of the most recognizable and important parts of a city. This course will focus on the phenomenon of the university district, specifically University City in Philadelphia, and analyze the confluence of place-making powers that define this unique urban space.

Praxis Presentation:

To view Colin’s narrated presentation, please click here.

5 thoughts on “Colin Fredrickson, Growth and Structure of Cities, HC ’20

  1. Victor Donnay

    Colin

    I enjoyed your presentation and learning about efforts to increase bike use in university neighborhoods. In the Climate Change 360, we learned.a lot about Freiburg, Germany and their big emphasis on both public transportation and bike use.

  2. Calista Cleary

    Hi Colin,

    Thanks for this intriguing look at development trends of university districts around the country. Your work raises several questions for me. You note that given projected growth trends long-term planning is required in these areas: Are there institutions that are recognizing this need and collaborating to undertake this planning? I’m also thinking about behavioral economics and growth: Are there design changes and infrastructure that can nudge people towards desired behaviors, like more walking or biking or less driving of single-occupancy vehicles? My final question is huge: Do you imagine the current pandemic changing these trends, and if so, how? Do you think these will be temporary or long-term effects? Congratulations on this work! I’m sorry we can’t discuss in person.

  3. Hannah Duncan

    Colin,

    Your research is super interesting and relevant to mine. I love the way you presented it: it was very helpful to have you follow along and explain your slides. As an aspiring transportation planner/intern, I found it super helpful for my own understanding how you compare different cities and their priorities.

  4. Katie Krimmel

    Colin, very interesting presentation. I enjoyed listening! It’s amazing how quickly University City is growing! The transportation puzzle is such an interesting one to solve! Thanks for sharing your work.

  5. Caroline Soffer

    Hi Colin, this was a really interesting presentation! I’ve defintely noticed huge growth in and around Unviersity City and the increasing prevalence of bikers. I wonder how COVID might affect all of this. I’ve read a few articles about how the shared experience of this pandemic might encourage growth outside of cities and towards the suburbs/more rural areas. Do city planners have similar guesses?

Comments are closed.