Eleanor Sharpe, Executive Director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 2017-2023, and current Temple University professor, discusses the role of politics in the planning process. Drawing on her experience working on various projects across Philadelphia, Sharpe makes the argument that planners need to think more about the political realm in their practice, and that politicians must better understand planning processes.
Sharpe worked for the City of Philadelphia for more than 10 years, most recently as Head of the Department of Planning and Development. There, she collaborated with various stakeholders to enhance, plan, preserve, and develop vibrant neighborhoods. Her professional experience is impressively backed by her theoretical knowledge, based on her Bachelor of Architecture from Howard University and her master's in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Because of her vast expertise, she also has had the opportunity to contribute to academia as an adjunct professor in city planning and architecture at Temple University, Drexel University, and the University of Pennsylvania over the past two decades.