EDITOR’S LETTER
SACRED PLACES/ CIVIC SPACES Sacred places are ubiquitous. Yet, we are at a critical juncture. The fact that sacred places are at risk isn’t new, however the pace at which they are closing may
ELIZABETH KAY MILLER CONTEXT Editor and Executive Director, Community Design Collaborative
become a crisis for all neighborhoods. In this Collaborative takeover of Context, we are pleased to introduce Sacred Places/ Civic Spaces. This is the next topic of Infill Philadelphia, the proactive communityengaged design initiative of the Community Design Collaborative. Underwritten by the William Penn Foundation, the 18-month series will explore possibilities for underutilized
A. ROBERT JAEGER CONTEXT Editor and President, Partners for Sacred Places
space in historic sacred properties throughout Philadelphia. Our Up Close by Jared Brey, with images from Chris Kendig, gives us a closer look at our partner on this initiative, Bob Jaeger of Partners for Sacred Places. In Philadelphia alone, there are 839 purpose built historic sacred places. The report commissioned by the Philadelphia Research Initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts was published in October 2017. Lessons learned from work with Philadelphia Congregations though and with Partners, Hidden City and Penn Praxis, informs Rachel Hildebrandt's piece on Sacred Places in Transition. She shares thoughts about the future resilience and vulnerability of congregations, buildings, and communities throughout Philadelphia. On June 5, 2018, with the help of an impressive Ad Hoc Committee, the Sacred Places/Civic Spaces Design Challenge was launched. We anounced the three reallife, historic sacred places in Philadelphia neighborhoods to serve as national models. Three sets of community partners and congregations were matched with design teams through a competative process to undertake a community-engaged Design Challenge. The result of their collaborative work will be revealed on December 4, 2018. Former Collaborative Board Member Lee Huang of Econsult Solutions revisits Partners’ HALO Study reminding us of the economic impact active congregations and shared sites can mean for communities and the city at large. Partners for Sacred Places Philadelphia-based work is also a prototype for its national work. Chad Martin highlights the work of local architect - turned congregational client Jim Timberlake and his work to breathe new life into the Neighborhood House of Christ Church in Old City. This precedent and others highlighted in this issue and the Precedent Exhibition recognize the work that congregations already do to serve, stabilize and revitalize communities. We hope we’ve whet your whistle for more conversations about what it means for sacred places to be civic spaces. There are many more perspectives and voices to be heard. Thanks to the William Penn Foundation, we are able to convene a broad network though the Collaborative’s unique brand of proactive and pro bono, communityengaged design. We encourage you to join us as we deploy design as a means to find common ground, pursue innovative new ideas, and work toward equity through the active reuse of underutilized neighborhood assets. n
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THIS ARTICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN THE SUMMER 2018 ISSUE OF AIA PHILADELPHIA’S CONTEXT MAGAZINE
Sacred Places/Civic Spaces is a partnership between the Community Design Collaborative and Partners for Sacred Places to re-envision underutilized, purpose built religious properties as community hubs. The eighteen-month community-engaged design initiative is underwritten by the William Penn Foundation.
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