Modern-Day Constitutional Convention - September 14, 2004
Overview
On September 14, 2004, The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia held a Modern-Day Constitutional Convention of interpretive collaboration and programmatic brainstorming that was moderated by Ron Thomson, an independent consultant with Compass and the former Chief of Interpretive Support with Independence National Historical Park, who has worked for the National Park Service for more than 20 years.
The Constitutional hired Ron Thomson as per the suggestion of Hobie Cawood, former Superintendent of Independence National Historical Park, who serves on The Constitutional's Advisory Board.
In total, The Constitutional reached out to over 338 individual stakeholders representing over 100 institutions, governmental agencies, organizations, corporations who each have a stake in the Independence National Historical Park ecosystem. Many people contributed in advance of the meeting and/or following the meeting, and over 30 people attended in person on September 14, 2004 including Rick Stengel, President and CEO, National Constitution Center, Doven E. Brezner, Executive Director, Friends of Independence National Historical Park, Ken Finkel, Executive Director, Arts & Culture Service, WHYY-TV, as well as representatives from Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, the National Park Service Northeast Region, Independence National Historical Park, etc.
Second Modern-Day Constitutional Convention - January 14, 2005
- Invitation
- Draft Master Plan - The Constitutional's Draft Master Plan as developed by Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative - January 14, 2005
- Final Master Plan - The Constitutional's Final Master Plan as developed by Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative - October 31, 2005
Overview
As a follow up to the First Modern-Day Constitutional Convention on September 14, 2004, The Constitutional retained Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative and held the Second Modern-Day Constitutional Convention on January 14, 2005 to focus in on The Constitutional Wayfinding and Interpretive Master Plan Project
Goals and Objectives of The Constitutional Wayfinding and Interpretive Master Plan Project
- Examine the route and landscape of The Constitutional's ecosystem and to look for ways in which we can improve it,
- Augment The Constitutional Walking Tour from a listing of sites to a more engaging and interconnected storyline that will entertain and educate visitors in compelling ways,
- Promote The Constitutional Walking Tour in a manner which reawakens visitors and local residents alike to Philadelphia's unique history while increasing visitation to the historic sites along The Constitutional, and
- Invite broader participation in The Constitutional Walking Tour by stakeholders in the Independence Mall area ecosystem including interpreters, historians, historic sites, the tourism industry, individuals, residents, government officials, etc.
The Constitutional retained Selbert Perkins to spearhead its enhanced Wayfinding and Interpretive Master Plan Development. The Constitutional and Selbert Perkins worked with Ron Thomson, the former Chief of Interpretive Support with Independence National Historical Park, who worked for the National Park Service for more than 20 years. Additionally, Selbert Perkins is working with others with respect to developing The Constitutional's Master Plan to enhance the stories told along the pathways of The Constitutional using new wayfinding markings and signage.
Specifically, Selbert Perkins is assisting The Constitutional's educational mission in providing their expertise in wayfinding, environmental communications and cultural landscape preservation with respect to the development of educational programming initiatives on the history of the United States Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and the role which the Independence National Historical Park area in Philadelphia played with respect to founding of the United States of America, as they relate to The Constitutional Walking Tour.
Selbert Perkins is a strategic branding and design firm with over 20 years of experience creating branded environments and related communications for the National Park Service, state and city organizations, tourism and heritage organizations and community groups. Selbert Perkins has combined the disciplines of branding, environmental communications including signage wayfinding, public art, and other interpretive elements, streetscapes, and marketing communications with the beauty of art and architecture to create branded, competitively differentiated experiences for destinations throughout the United States and around the world. Selbert Perkins's solutions aid in community revitalization, economic development, and heritage education.
Selbert Perkins's solutions aid in community revitalization, economic development, and heritage education. Some of Selbert Perkins's heritage recent projects include:
- Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston,
- The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island,
- South Carolina's National Heritage Corridor,
- Wheeling National Heritage Area in West Virginia,
- Motorcities - The Automobile National Heritage Area in Michigan, and
- The Yadkin Pee Dee Lakes Project in North Carolina.
* Note: In 2007, The Constitutional Foundation, Inc., the 501(C)(3)* non-profit corporation, ("Corporation"), which offered the free self-guided tour wound down operations because the Corporation's Board of Directors resolved that the Corporation was unsuccessful in obtaining the necessary contributions to continue its charitable and educational purposes. To ensure that the free self-guided tour would continue to be offered, The Constitutional Guided Walking Tours of Philadelphia, LLC took over operations of the free self-guided tour and provided funding for the ongoing presentation of the free self-guided tour.
