Faculty Awarded Grant for Project to Revitalize Pottstown
A Penn State faculty team led by Jawaid Haider, principal investigator and professor of architecture, has been awarded a grant of $231,161 by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation to fund research focused on revitalizing the Pottstown area through improving the health and well-being of residents. Co-principal investigators are Peter Aeschbacher, assistant professor of landscape architecture and architecture, and Mallika Bose, assistant professor of landscape architecture.
According to the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, the project has the potential to serve as a prototypical strategy for similar communities throughout Pennsylvania. The interdisciplinary research, which will focus on the components of active living and the built environment and organizational structures and management environment, will examine the forces that have shaped the Pottstown area in order to make the best use of its cultural and environmental assets. The researchers will examine Pottstown's current strengths and weaknesses, propose strategies to leverage the existing assets and identify direct interventions to improve the quality of life of all its residents. The methodology involves continued participation of planning, design, public and health organizations through interviews, focus groups and surveys of various stakeholders.
The funding represents Phases I and II with possibilities for Phases III and IV in the future. The first two phases will produce a holistic understanding of the existing conditions in the Pottstown area and comprehensive planning and architectural design strategies, as well as guidelines for future parks and recreation initiatives. Phase II will include the development of a Web site and other materials that provide information on available parks, recreational facilities and related resources.
This press release courtesy of Penn State's Department of Public Information
Last modified: 03/28/08 | Contact Webmaster
