Request for Qualifications A Plan for a City-Wide Cultural Resources Survey – Jun 21

Posted by The Mayor's Fund for Philadelphia on June 8, 2021

The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for individuals and firms to participate in a historic and cultural resources project.

Philadelphia is a city rich in historic and cultural resources. Those resources reflect the contributions of the diverse people and communities that have made up Philadelphia for nearly 350 years.

Yet Philadelphia’s inventory of acknowledged and protected resources does not reflect that diversity. Much of the cultural history that makes Philadelphia unique goes unrecognized.

To address that disparity DPD will develop a cultural resources survey plan. It will then test that plan in a pilot project. The RFQ is the first step in that process.

DPD is not seeking one firm to handle all aspects of the project. Rather it is looking to compile a list of participants from which diverse project teams can be created. The City will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) this summer to create those teams.

The project team will develop and test a community-led process for identifying, surveying, and documenting the stories and spaces that represent Philadelphia’s rich and varied past.

Some members of the project team will likely not have a background in historic preservation. Their expertise will instead be in community outreach, engagement, and advocacy. Individuals who have developed that expertise through lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due June 21, 2021 by 5 PM EST.

Learn more and apply.