Tomorrow, BITS Interns and Service Learners will walk the Ben Franklin Parkway as part of their respective examinations of historic landscapes and green spaces in Philadelphia. Interns are creating a virtual reality that includes various digital media to depict the iconic planned city park system from a contemporary perspective. Service Learners are examining green spaces throughout the Fairmount Park system and in the city. They will analyze the different uses and users of the park spaces and document the different types of green spaces incorporated in the park system. Their observations will be drawn upon to create designs for new trails, marking existing trails, and mapping routes that the general public can use within the park system, including both Fairmount Park and Wissahickon Park venues.
Here are some links that may be of interest for students and readers alike:
Ben Franklin Parkway Rehabilitation Project - The Parkway is one of Philadelphia' planned park settings. Explore this site to review old photos and maps and learn about plans to maintain the spaces and improve user experiences throughout the area. Click here to view the map.
Sadie's First Walk - Here is the route we will take and points of interest. This map will updated throughout the next few days, so check here often to see what is new.
Gmaps Pedometer - Use this tool to analyze the distance between points of interest and the route we take. See how the differences change depending on the settings chosen for mapping the path. See if you can recreate the path from Sadie's First Walk.
Love Park - Known internationally to Philadelphia's millions of annual visitors, extreme athletes, community organizers, and residents alike for it's quirky LOVE statue and ever changing users.
Julian Abele - The Art Museum of Philadelphia was designed by African American architect Julian Abele. Read more about his role in the design and his professional accomplishments here. Investigate a database about architects and their designs across Philadelphia here.
Michele Masucci, Director
ITSRG - Temple University