Citizens and urban planners unite in "Urban Strategy in the Present Tense," a year-long speaker series dedicated to the local roots of civic innovation.

We'll be in conversation with Kathryn Ott Lovell and Patrick Morgan, two Philadelphia civic leaders and longtime colleagues for a conversation about the transformative power of public spaces.

From the iconic Rocky Steps to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, they'll discuss how these spaces foster lasting connections between both residents and visitors. Explore the evolving role of public space in shaping the city’s cultural and physical landscape—past, present, into 2026 and beyond.

Register here.
 
Kathryn Ott Lovell is currently the President and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation. Previously, she served as Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) from 2016 to 2023. Before joining PPR, Ott Lovell was executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and before that chief advancement officer for Mural Arts Philadelphia. At both she elevated the organizations’ profiles, launched high-impact projects, and secured significant local and national funding.
 
Patrick Morgan serves as a Distinguished Resident Fellow for Civic Design and an Adjunct Professor with Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. He previously served as first deputy commissioner at Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, led the Knight Foundation’s grantmaking efforts in Philadelphia, and was chief of staff for Philadelphia’s deputy mayor for environmental and community resources.
 
The series is produced by the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University in partnership with the Urban Strategy Masters Program in Drexel's Westphal College of Media, Arts & Design. Andrew Zitcer hosts the webinar. Thomas Devaney produces the series with production director Hazel Dequito.