Since 2008 we have been convening design teams that live and work in post-industrial American cities. Our approach to increasing solutions-oriented media coverage in the areas where we work borrows from the academic disciplines of critical ethnography and ethnomusicology; by housing ourselves amongst urban farmers, artists, veteran families and elder narrative keepers, we have been able to work with communities inside of a cooperative pre-planning process long before speculative land developers arrived. Our focused investment in local subject matter experts continues to create support for development without displacement efforts long after our capacity building work is complete.
Through a review of our curated press coverage each year (below) you will find the common thread of our social impact work; this press content is a peek into how we do what we do and why. As we prepare to expand our design consulting work both south and west of North America’s ‘northeastern corridor,’ opening regional offices in Appalachia and the Mississippi River Valley in 2022 and 2023 respectively, our press page will continue to highlight the work of our teams, neighbors and the community voices that have been impacted by our work.
Sally Blagg plays an active role in all of the stories about our leadership team, our design work and the people that we serve; we strongly advise our clients and communities to have some creative control over their messaging as well. Enjoy the stories about over a decade of our work by activating the tabs below!
2022
June 15th |
An indigenous father reflects on raising a daughter in the outdoor and indoor “classrooms” that the city offers (GRID Magazine)
March 14th |
Moon Lit (The Local)
2021
October 28th |
What Germantown can learn from Lauryn Hill (WHYY)
September 18th |
“I AM” (Germantown Voices: The Podcast)
May 8th |
April 27th |
Farmers market open on Saturdays in Germantown’s Market Square (Philly Voice)
April 27th |
Independent Germantown farmers market on its way (Germantown Info Hub)
March 8th |
How I Got Here: Nashirah Riggs is designing and DJing her way to a better post-pandemic Philly (Technical.ly Philly)
2020
December 17th |
BIPOC-run urban design firm develops community centers that serve modern life and historic preservation (Grid Philly)
November 4th |
Power to the (First) People (NW Local)
September 1st |
Fit for Us: An Open Letter to the Fitness Industry (Self Magazine)
May 29th |
A new fresh produce option for Germantown residents (Chestnut Hill Local)
2019
November 3rd |
Musical Mt. Airy Reboot (NW Local Paper)
May 15th |
Philly pays tribute to Nina Simone, whose life was forever changed by rejection from one of the city’s great institutions (Philadelphia Inquirer)
May 15th |
Singing Nina:A Cultural Festival and Conference for a Legend (Broad Street Review)
May 11th |
Nina Simone’s Complicated Relationship With Philadelphia (Philadelphia Magazine)
March 17th |
The (Not So) Hidden Agenda w/ “Singing Nina” co-producer, David Rose (G-Town Radio)
February 26th |
Singing Nina – Festival & Conference Honoring Nina Simone (Philadelphia Jazz Project)
February 12th |
Local students connect, discuss power of microlending (Chestnut Hill Local)
January 10th |
Germantown businesses revolt against taxing district that didn’t deliver on clean streets promise (Plan Philly)
2018
November 29th |
Could a plant-based, zero-waste grocery store work in Germantown? (Medium)
April 18th |
In lieu of Starbucks (WHYY)
2017
June 6th |
The secret lives of caretakers in Philly’s historic houses (Curbed Philadelphia)
April 21st |
Cleanup joins services district, students, merchants (Philadelphia Tribune)
Archived
May 11, 2016 |
Students Cultivate Local Ecosystem With Myrtle Avenue Plantings (DNA Info)
November 20, 2011 |
Preserving Religious Spaces (AASLH Blog)
Aug 27, 2008 |
Free lecture highlights early cleric (Buffalo News)