Penn MUSA

The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

The Master of Urban Spatial Analytics (MUSA) program at the University of Pennsylvania teaches at the intersection of data science & public policy. The program is training a new generation of data scientists to tackle complex public policy problems. Using geo-spatial computing methods and open source software tools, students and faculty seek to create positive change through data-driven decision-making. Responsible, domain-savvy data scientists can enable governments to understand what works, and decide how to deploy limited resources to benefit the public.

Ongoing projects between MUSA and House Museum involve mapping Philadelphia's inventory of historic landmarks, charting demographic property data, and considering preservation policy change to better steward designated places. We worked with MUSA director Elizabeth Delmelle and Kemi Richards, HSPV during Spring 2023 to locate trends of Black Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia, PA

Excerpt from Kemi Richards, HSPV 2023, Capstone Report.

Map 1: Designation Status. This map denotes whether a sampled home has received “designation” and is included in the Register of Historic Places.

"There is a noticeable lack of Black properties included in Philadelphia's Registry. Reasons for this have not been provided by the Philadelphia Historical Commission. However, we assume this may be due to a lack of ‘physical distinctiveness’ associated with Black homes (e.g. row houses). Indeed, the Black homes featured in the city’s Registry have largely received designation due to the notability of the homeowner, rather than its physical appearance. Yet and still, there remains numerous homes of notable Black Philadelphians that are tended to and celebrated by many, but have not received official recognition. Given Philadelphia’s strong Black history, its current sizable Black population (43.6%), as well as citywide structural racism that continues to disproportionately affect Black Philadelphians, it is imperative that additional Black properties (e.g. homes) are included in the Registry.

Featured on right is a map that visualizes whether a notable home is currently listed in the Register of Historic Places. Of the 28 sampled homes, half are included in the Registry, while the remaining half are ‘undesignated.’ Spatially, we see that the majority of designated Black homes are located in the Center City area. This is consistent with the location of all properties included in the Registry—that is to say, there is a similar cluster of general, designated properties in Center City.

Map 2: Undesignated Homes near Clusters. A map illustrating the location of undesignated homes surrounded by designated properties in Northwest|Germantown.

While the cluster of designated Black homes in Center City remains typical, upon zooming into the map, we see that there are also instances of undesignated Black homes near clusters of properties included in the
Registry. It is not possible to know whether these homes were nominated, but ultimately denied designation. Still, it is odd that the two undesignated homes shown [in Map 2], are included within the Preservation Alliance’s database of historic sites but have yet to be recognized by the City of Philadelphia.

Why have these homes not been identified as historic?"

- Kemi Richards HSPV, University of Pennsylvania.