Design | Penn Today

Blue stripe with Determination written on it in stairwell

Using stairwells for wellness

StairWELL, a Penn Sustainability Green Fund project, completed a yearlong pilot project last July that aimed to test how effective a stairwell makeover could be in increasing physical activity and reducing energy costs.

Scooter companies hope to be street legal in Pennsylvania by summer

The School of Design’s Megan Ryerson said the popularization of shared scooters could make everyone’s commutes safer by increasing drivers’ awareness and a resulting demand for protected bike lanes. “When we give Philadelphians access to safe and affordable alternatives for transportation, they will use them,” she said.

University of Pennsylvania Names School of Design in Recognition of Stuart Weitzman’s Lifetime Commitment and Support of Penn

The new name will be the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.

Luxury shoe designer Stuart Weitzman is the new namesake of University of Pennsylvania’s design school

The School of Design is getting a new name in honor of Wharton School alumnus and luxury shoe designer Stuart Weitzman.

Philly applies a ‘light touch’ to get dollars flowing for middle-income homes

Vincent Reina of the School of Design discussed Philadelphia’s new Workforce Housing Credit Enhancement program, which guarantees loans to small and mid-size developers building income-restricted projects. The enhancement “is a nice way of releasing pressure on the housing market,” says Reina.

Taliesin West house exterior with cactus and trees

PennDesign partners with Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at the School of Design has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to assist in activities leading to the study and preservation of Taliesin and Taliesin West.

Iconic preservation: A plan for the O’Keeffe home and studio

A balance of science and critical thinking, plus reverence for the artist’s work and devotion to her space, makes the conservation assessment by a PennDesign team especially meaningful.

Expert voices 2019: Why cities?

Housing the majority of the global population, cities have come to define and shape the overarching challenges of the 21st century. The speed and scale of their development is unprecedented, raising complex questions about how to address the changes they bring to communities around the world.

Satellite image of port of Semarang with vulnerable coastal areas labeled "Industrial Greenbelt" "Future-ready Port" "Resilient Kampung, "Re-Water"

Designing with resilience to prepare for a changing world

Urban designers joined with architects, engineers, city planners, sociologists, and other experts to share strategies for adapting to rising sea levels, fiercer storms, and sinking shorelines, coinciding with the launch of the Certificate in Urban Resilience at the School of Design.

Split-flap board inside 30th Street Station surrounded by passengers and a clock

Iconic indeed, will Amtrak’s split-flap sign remain?

As Amtrak decides whether to keep the split-flap sign at 30th Street Station, PennDesign professors lay out research-based and historical considerations.

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