Defining the Public Good

PennPraxis, a design collaborative spawned by faculty and students of University of Pennsylvania's design school, will begin a program called the Praxis Dialogues, in partnership with PlanPhilly. The series of conversations will begin with an exploration of the public good and its meaning for the design community. The program is free and open to the public.

From the PlanPhilly blog:

"We are all, in some manner, motivated by public good...Public good in a full sense challenges us to envision shared spaces as not just those leftover once private goods are consumed.  How does our shared, “public” realm express and live up to our political and social ideals?  We owe it to ourselves, our collaborators, and our fellow citizens to be explicit about this ideal – and to be candid in our evaluation of how we succeed or fail to realize it."

Recognizing the public good as a political concept, the questions posed are challenging and will address such timely issues as access, stewardship, ownership, and cultural confidence. The emphasis will be on practice rather than lofty abstractions. "Ideas of public good are changeful, reflections of the politics of a moment.  The current moment is messy."

Questions posed will also address the public good with respect specifically to Philadelphia and its current political environment.