But as manufacturing declined and suburban warehouse distribution grew, many of the handsome buildings that formed the industrial backbone of the city became symbols of blight. A shifting economy and the new national focus on green industry have led city leaders to re-evaluate Philadelphia’s stock of older industrial sites as places to nurture a new generation of manufacturers.

In a collaborative effort, the Community Design Collaborative has teamed up with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) to support a design challenge that will tackle some of the common issues surrounding retooling older industrial sites in urban neighborhoods through an original approach—innovative design. The Collaborative is a nonprofit that promotes strengthening neighborhoods through design. PIDC is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes economic development throughout the city.

Infill Philadelphia: Industrial Sites Design Challenge will officially kick off on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at the Urban Outfitters Headquarters at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Building 543 from 4 – 6:30 p.m.,when the design teams, jurors, and partners will be announced and the project sites unveiled. The program will feature a keynote address by William C. Struever, President and CEO of Struever Bros.Eccles & Rouse. Struever is a leading figure in green urban revitalization who has pioneered adaptive reuse of industrial buildings and neighborhood development. He received the Urban Land Institute’s Award of Excellence for the Clipper Mill in Baltimore, MD, and was awarded the Congressional Achievement Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Serving the Citizens of the United States.”

Three design firms have volunteered to tackle three projects that will serve as prototypes for bringing new industrial sectors and production formats into the city in ways that are sensitive to neighborhoods. The firms will seek input from community-based organizations and a diverse group of experts to create concepts that respond to the requirements of each site, which range in scale and potential uses.

The projects include creating leasable space for artisanal industries in a wing of an old factory building, DESIGN CHALLENGE KICK OFF, FEBRUARY 16, 2010 p. 2 designing an industrial/residential mixed-use project for a multi-building manufacturing complex, and developing a sustainable site plan for industrial flex space on a riverfront parcel.

“This initiative is unique because it explores strategies for repurposing old industrial sites for new industry with a special focus on neighborhood-based sites,” said John Grady, Vice President, PIDC. “We want to demonstrate to entrepreneurs and investors that industrial sites in neighborhoods can be a good match.”

This third phase of Infill Philadelphia will build on the Industrial Market and Land Use Strategy undertaken by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. “Infill Philadelphia: Industrial Sites will add thoughtful, creative options to the menu of Philadelphia’s industrial land development strategies and complement the city’s sustainability, green jobs, and economic initiatives,” says Alan Greenberger, Executive Director, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.

The Industrial Sites design challenge is the third of a three-phase initiative called Infill Philadelphia. The initiative, the brainchild of the Community Design Collaborative, matches local design experts with community-based organizations for site-specific design projects. It is intended to demonstrate the possibilities of inventive design and help older communities re-envision the appearance of their neighborhoods while using their existing physical assets to spark community reinvestment.

Infill Philadelphia: Industrial Sites is being partially underwritten by the William Penn Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development, the CRE Foundation, MacroSea and TRCSolutions. “Our partners and supporters recognize that older,industrial sites in neighborhoods have a big role in re-energizing the city’s economy,” said Beth Miller, Executive Director of the Community Design Collaborative, “Our goal is to show how new industries can become an integral part of successful neighborhoods and to create places where a new generation of clean, safe—and urban— manufacturing can thrive. Design is an important part of making that happen.”