Regardless of the fact that the Delaware Valley is nearly overflowing with historic older communities, it is nevertheless an unfortunate reality of the American mindset that if a town or suburb is newer, it's often also considered better.
That assessment, however, is one that the community planners at the
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission disagree with strongly. As a way to illustrate the imprudence of the newer-is-better philosophy, the DVRPC launched the
Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia initiative in mid-2008, which still works to promote places like Media and Phoenixville as ideal communities in which to live and work.
And yet one of the DVRPC's newest community-building initiatives--the
Strategies for Older Suburbs Roundtable Series--is bringing the region's various community leaders together in the very same room. After listening to ideas and suggestions from guest speakers, they're able to hammer out possible solutions for the very real economic problems hampering growth in their towns.
The general purpose of the roundtable series, says Karen Cilurso of the DVRPC, is to build relationships. "We find that sometimes communities can find a solution to their problems just by talking to their neighbor," she says. "And it (often) doesn't require millions of dollars."
The series' second event is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Feb. 9, at the DVRPC offices (190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor, Philadelphia). The guest speakers will discuss the topics of old media and new media, with the ultimate goal of helping community leaders understand how to most successfully promote their towns.
According to Cilurso, the discussions are informal, with the topics suggested by the participants themselves. "We like [the discussions] to be very free flowing," she says, adding that many of the roundtable participants "are people (who are) really in the trenches, trying to bring business and residents back to the region."
The Roundtable Series happens quarterly; following Wednesday's meeting, the next event is scheduled for May 13.
Source: Karen Cilurso, DVRPC
Writer: Dan Eldridge
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