Elfreth's Alley is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the USA

Calling City History Buffs

When Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney decided it was time to rethink how Philadelphia preserves its historical resources, he turned to Drexel’s Harris M. Steinberg, director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation. Kenney selected Steinberg to chair a new, 29-member Historic Preservation Task Force that will focus on historical preservation, development, archaeology, land use, architecture and community issues.

Philadelphia was the first American city to adopt a citywide preservation ordinance, in the mid-1950s, and Steinberg and the new task force will contribute to the dialogue over how the ordinance is modified and evolves.

The task force began its work in June and will issue an interim report in spring 2018, a draft final report in fall 2018, and a final report in December 2018. Its meetings will be held across the city and will be open to the public.

Harris M. Steinberg of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation will seek public input on how to preserve city history.