Thinking Outside the Box About Philadelphia

In the words of Daniel Burnham, the great architect and planner who had an enormous influence on the development of the city of Chicago, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work . . . Think big.”

With the mayoral campaign featuring many of the same issues as four years ago, our current political debate runs the risk of seeming like déjà vu all over again. So this issue of the Greater Philadelphia Regional Review tries to rise to that challenge — to think back, think ahead, and introduce some new characters in the long running epic drama that is our region. This issue highlights past, present and future plans for the city, inviting us all to think differently about the future of our region and its communities.