A World-Class Evening – Josh Sevin Visits WPBA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: the birthplace of American democracy and a city endowed with immense cultural deposits ranging from cuisine to music. Yet, despite a legacy of innovation the city itself seems to be struggling to distinguish itself in the international context. The City of Philadelphia has yet to reach “world-class” status. At least, that’s the assessment of Josh Sevin of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia. Mr. Sevin, a Philadelphia native and Yale University graduate spoke with WPBA on November 23rd about the city’s challenge to build a globally recognized identity comparable to other American goliaths like New York and Chicago. It is an interesting predicament considering the Greater Philadelphia region has the 9th largest economy in the world; obviously there is more to this matter than simple economics.
“So what does it mean to be world class?” Mr. Sevin proposed to an intimate crowd huddled in Huntsman G65. He went on to explain that in the definition of the Economy League, being world-class means leveraging the assets of the city (culture, higher education, health care) to inspire more people to live, work and invest in the area. Over the course of the past year the organization has worked to identify what cities are world-class and which qualities they generally possess. This is the mandatory step needed to identify what the city must do to remain globally competitive. Mr. Sevin explained that a number of metrics were pooled into five broader categories by which cities are typically judged: human capital, economy, infrastructure, governance and quality of place.
Mr. Sevin then proceeded to present Philadelphia’s current standing. Generally, the region tends to fare well in measures regarding of quality of life, buoyed by a diverse set of housing opportunities and the presence of outstanding medical and educational institutions in the city and surrounding area. However, this is favorable standing occurs only in comparison to other American cities. In the larger international pool, Philadelphia often isn’t ranked or studied. It is also never at the top of any domestic rankings and suburban areas often appear in rankings drawing a contrast with the inner city. It is apparent Philadelphia has great strengths, but how are these packaged to make the city more attractive for living and commerce? Here are some recommendations presented by Mr. Sevin:
- Converting visiting students to Philadelphia’s universities into long-term residents, thus improving the quality of the labor pool
- Continued support of local health care institutions
- Reform of the public education system
- Maintenance and expansion of transportation infrastructure, particularly high-speed rail
Following his presentation, Mr. Sevin opened the floor to questions from the audience. One member in particular stressed the need of unified leadership to provide vision for the city going foreword. He stressed, and Mr. Sevin agreed, that without such a spark the city would try to replicate the success of others rather than define itself as unique. Philadelphia’s 2016 Olympic bid was also mentioned as an example of synchronized community spirit exemplified in relations between government officials. This type of vigor and excitement must be at the center of any improvement plan. Considering the changing dynamics of the international economy, this revolutionary thought and dedication on the part of civic leaders is more necessary than ever if Philadelphia shall ever be “world class.”
Related posts:
- A discussion with Josh Sevin of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia
- Professor Phillip M. Nichols visits WPBA for an evening on corruption
- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell Visits WPBA to Discuss “The Future Of Energy”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Subscribe to the Calendar