I’m always writing on Philly Chit Chat about my good friend Greta Greenberger, who has been the Director of City Hall Tours for the past 15 years. We’ve been friends for just about 12 years, and if you are a regular reader of my blog, you know she is my #1 Philadelphia Icon Hero. The tour programed wouldn’t have survived the Street regime if Greta wasn’t so dedicated to keeping it running, ok enough about that tyrant.
The good news out of City Hall today is that at a 10:30AM press conference it will be announced that Greta’s husband, Alan Greenberger will become Philadelphia’s City Planner. OMG, as a friend I am ecstatic, as a volunteer architectural tour guide for many years, I am ecstatic, Alan loves the City of Philadelphia, and he is a preservationist, he has a vision for the City and I know he will do many wonderful things to pull this City further into the 21st Century.

Bio 8/11/12: Alan Greenberger, AIA is a Principal at MGA Partners, where he directs many of the firm’s architectural, urban design and planning projects. Mr. Greenberger is the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of the Design Advocacy Group. He is a Visiting Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Department of City Planning and an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the Drexel University Department of Architecture. He’s worked there for over 30 years, but after October he won’t be there anymore. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Greenberger came to Philadelphia in 1974 to work for Mitchell/Giurgola Architects, one of the leading local firms at the time. He later formed the spin-off known as MGA Partners.

Bio starting in October: PHILADELPHIA DIRECTOR OF CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

We all love the Calder sculptures and Alan worked hard to get the Calder Museum built, but in the end the Calder’s wanted to keep their sculptures in their family
(http://www.planphilly.com/) Alan Greenberger on creating a Design Advocacy Committee like Boston has: “You want to create such a credible operation, thoughtful, substantive, stocked with people who have such clear expertise, that their recommendations are taken very seriously[.]”
In fact, Greenberger is already pioneering this model here in Philadelphia. With fellow DAG members, he’s performed design reviews for major housing projects along the Delaware River in Tacony and in Old City. Greenberger says the current patchwork system of design review is untenable.“Sometimes I think maybe this crazy system is okay,” he said. “But really it’s not okay. It’s a sort of sickness we all learned to live with… And I’ve talked to a number of developers who won’t develop in Philadelphia because it’s nuts. Our kind of craziness puts out a message that the city does not have its act together.” Sunshine is on Greta’s shoulder, really Sunshine is her name.
If Philadelphia is ever going to successfully develop the rest of its waterfront, the city needs to quickly create a broad master plan that includes a contiguous public promenade along the river’s edge, protected sight lines, and incentives for private interests to improve public space.
These are minimal goals for any good waterfront plan, says Alan Greenberger, cofounder of the Design Advocacy Group, a volunteer organization made up of architects, city planners and developers. http://www.designadvocacy.org/docs/water2alan.pdf

Congratulations Alan, but don’t tread on my territory and think you’re gonna get to eat lunch with my best girlfriend everyday just because you’ll be working across the street now!!
Congratulations Alan, I am so excited to know the City will finally have a concrete direction. I hope this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to make it to my annual July 4th Party. You’re dance card is about to become full. UPDATE: Great write up and video at http://www.PlanPhilly.com :
http://www.planphilly.com/node/3683 Scary vid of me in background, need to continue my diet.