I just said that the Stampers Sq project has gotten good reviews from almost everyone (even many people in Society Hill) and even from the city's highest profile architecture critic. You make it sound like if Inga likes some project, it's probably bad. I just supported Stampers Sq and other such projects and counted Inga's support on it. Why does that rub you the wrong way?!

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New term of the day 1/24:
Electile Dysfunction: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for President put forth by either of only parties in the 2008 election year.
http://www.votenader.org/index.html


5/22, because i'm feeling punny:
As the great Jedi English teacher was quoted in saying, "metaphors be with you."

She does have a tendency to criticize more than praise and a good critic should find a balance. And I've often questioned the places she's praised, Skirkanich Hall being a good example. There's nothing stylistically innovative about it from a 21st century perspective. So much so that it could have been built 40 years ago and no one would know the difference. I'm a huge fan of Erdy-McHenry's unique designs and I can't recall her ever addressing one of their buildings. I think she may have written about the Avenue North complex, but I think she addressed the redevelopment of North Broad more than she addressed their style.

Places like the Convention Center and Penn's Landing deserve criticism, and you don't need to be a qualified architect or urban planner to see where these projects go wrong. However I don't know if she necessarily targets the right areas. I'd like to see her target the inflated construction costs and union corruption involved in the PCC rather than safety going after the demolition of two arguably historic buildings. Penn's Landing has similar problems. Rather than addressing deeper problems that truly inhibit progress in this city, she safety stirs up controversy surrounding easily agreeable delimmas, such as the inarguable fact that Symphony House is ugly or that the Murano would look better without a parking garage behind it. Tell us something we don't know.

What I do like about her, and I think this persona can evolve into a very valuable resource to the city, is that she instills her readers with the idea that all architecture is not necessarily good architecture, that we do not need to settle for the status quo or let predatorial developers have absolute power over design that affects us all. With that said, given the fact that she has this kind of influence over the opinions of so many, she also has a responsibility to keep her criticism within the realm of reality and make sure her readers do not expect the impossible.

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The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.

Besides Waterfront Square and the Trump project, is there anything else already approved that will not allow public access to the river?

Frankly, I'm surprised they can build any kind of a highrise on that skinny peninsula between Waterfront Square and Festival Pier.

Most of the ones east of Del Ave. Check Plan Philly for details.

In fact, there is a little bit of me that actually wants to see the Trump Dump built because I can snicker that between the two loftiest, suburban-iest condo projects in the city lies the mouth of our favorite little sewer, the Cohocksink Creek.

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This, this, this, and this are my new favorite things.

These two, not so much.

But at least she can spell architect. Roger Ebert is not a film director. Next case...

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Cheers,
Jayfar
--
“I am indeed well aware of the history of Conventional (sic) Hall, both globally and locally, and can assure you that we are carefully exploring avenues for its future.” -- Penn President Amy Gutmann 5 days before demolition began.

Who said they won't allow public access to the river?

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TAFKATLB(TheArtistFormerlyKnowAsTheLoveBelow)

The Penn Praxis "residential homes" will do more to cut the public off from the river than anything else.


Fake news story from the future:


Delaware River Residents demand city stop outsiders from parking in front of their homes to use river.

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"

Oh did i misppell something.

Mayb I should use Microsoft Office's synonym pull down menu to spruce up all my articles and posts like Inga does.

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"

How will residential homes on an extended city grid "cut the public off from the river" more than private multi-acre developments?

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Sugarhouse Casino was approved, wasn't it?

__________________
The idealistic are no longer concerned with influencing public opinion and creating a free world of responsible and ethical social choices, but rather imposing opinion through legislation, mandating these ethics, and outlawing choice in what the loudest sample finds offensive.

Ban the Bans. It's a slippery slope between Idealism and Fascism.