Lab for Urban & Social Innovation

The Lab for Urban & Social Innovation focuses on Philadelphia as a living lab and brings together communities, students, faculty, and stakeholders by conducting workshops, design studios, design charrettes, funded research, and consulting services. Together, they work tirelessly to ensure the impacts of real-world design, construction, and environmental projects are felt on a wide scale. The result? Resilient, enriching, and healthy solutions for our communities and neighborhoods.

Over the last 15 years, projects have exhibited excellence in the areas of urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, geodesign, interior design, and historic preservation. The award winning Park in a Truck initiative has garnered national accolades and won the “social good” recognition from Fast Company Magazine. “The Park in a Truck idea is simple: Give local residents the resources and training to design, build and maintain parks on unused land in their own neighborhoods,” Douglas says. “They decide whether it’s a place to grow vegetables, a setting to show off local art and culture, a space for child play, or simply a green place for rest and relaxation.”

Each contribution empowers students to make a positive mark not only on cities, but the world at large as well.

Their success is testament to the effectiveness of Nexus Learning — a Jefferson hallmark that encourages hands-on learning, grounded in liberal arts and cross-disciplinary thinking.