Alan Greenberger, FAIA, former Philadelphia Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the City Planning Commission, has been selected to receive the 2017 Thomas Jefferson Award. The Thomas Jefferson Award recognizes excellence in architectural advocacy and achievement. Greenberger will be honored at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017 in Orlando.
Lured from his role as a principal at Philadelphia’s MGA Partners by former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Greenberger quickly assumed a dual role as deputy mayor and chairman of the City Planning Commission. Responsible for the Department of Commerce as well as oversight of planning and 10 additional agencies, Greenberger spearheaded an audacious initiative to rewrite the city’s antiquated and convoluted zoning code and create Philadelphia2035, a comprehensive plan for the city’s renaissance. During his tenure, he also completed and approved plans for all 37 miles of the city’s waterfront and led Philadelphia to its greatest redevelopment and population influx since the mid-20th century.
When the Nutter administration reached its two-term limit, Greenberger left full-time public office. He now shares his knowledge and wealth of experience with the next generation of design professionals as the Distinguished Teaching Professor and Lind Fellow in the Department of Architecture and Interiors at Drexel University. Later this year, he will assume the role of department head. Greenberger remains active with the city he helped become a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015, serving as chairman of the Philadelphia Art Commission. An independent body, it is tasked with design oversight of all public facilities, signage, and artwork.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Mar 12, 2015
Foster and Partners designs 'The One' in Toronto
Developer Sam Mizrahi worked with Foster and Partners and Core Architects to design Toronto's tallest skyscraper aside from the CN Tower, The One, which will house a luxury shopping mall and condos.
Contractors | Mar 12, 2015
Construction demand exploding in 2015, but costs complicate recovery
Raw materials and labor costs temper expectations for soaring profits.
Codes and Standards | Mar 12, 2015
Energy Trust of Oregon offers financial incentives for net-zero buildings
The organization is offering technical assistance along with financial benefits.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 11, 2015
Google plans to use robots, cranes to manipulate modular offices at its new HQ
Its visions of “crabots” accentuate the search-engine giant’s recent fascination with robotics and automation.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 11, 2015
Foster + Partners wins bid for 2022 World Cup centerpiece stadium in Qatar
Norman Foster described the design as “an exciting step forward in stadium design—it will be the first to break the mold of the free-standing suburban concept, and instead anticipates the grid of this future city.”
Architects | Mar 10, 2015
German architect Frei Otto named 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate
The news comes a day after the visionary architect, 89, died in his native Germany.
Modular Building | Mar 10, 2015
Must see: 57-story modular skyscraper was completed in 19 days
After erecting the mega prefab tower in Changsha, China, modular builder BSB stated, “three floors in a day is China’s new normal.”
Sponsored | Metals | Mar 10, 2015
Metal Building Systems: A Rising Star in the Market
A new report by the Metal Building Manufacturer's Association explains the entity's efforts in refining and extending metal building systems as a construction choice.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Orlando's Skyscraper to be world's tallest roller coaster
The Skyscraper is expected to begin construction later this year, and open in 2016. It will stand at 570 feet.
