Penn's Luminous City

A devout Quaker, William Penn believed that God's power would manifest more powerfully in a 'City of Light." He chose the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers as the site for his Holy Experiment: an ideal society with a model capital city, governed by an assembly, and dedicated to religious toleration. He chose the name Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love, after the devoutly Christian Asia Minor town mentioned by Scripture. Penn regarded the blighted areas as products of human vice. However, Tyson believes that genuine urban renewal requires spiritual regeneration. Positive actions such as slum clearance, creek cleanup, Philadelphia's reconnection with the trail system, and school reformations manifest the healing actions of the 'Light." The expansion of Philadelphia's green infrastructure would not only spur redevelopment but improve the city's spiritual condition.

Through "Penn's Luminous City," Tyson conveys Penn's prophetic vision that still inspires citizens to make the city a better place.