Judith Shuman Eden papers on Philadelphia urban affairs
Collection 3657
1983-2005, undated(2.9 Linear feet ; 8 boxes, 1 flat file)
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Creator
- Eden, Judith Shuman, d. 2008
- Title
- Judith Shuman Eden papers on Philadelphia urban affairs
- ID
- 3657
- Date
- 1983-2005, undated
- Extent
- 2.9 Linear feet ; 8 boxes, 1 flat file
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Sabrina Bocanegra.
- Sponsor
- Processing made possible by a generous donation from the Young Friends of HSP.
- Language
- English
- Mixed materials [Oversize]
- Flat file 1
- Mixed materials [Box]
- 1-8
- Abstract
- Philadelphia resident Judith Schuman Eden, who died 8 August 2008, devoted much of her life to Philadelphia activism and politics. She was appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment by Mayor John Street and later appointed to the Zoning Code Commission by Mayor Michael Nutter. She claimed a wide range of interests involving everything from the arts and Jewish community issues, to city improvements and land-use rights. This collection of publications and printed matter from various Philadelphia and Pennsylvania organizations dates from the 1990s and 2000s and covers many topics such as homelessness, graffiti, parking, transportation, zoning, Broad Street revitalization, parks/public lands, and vacant lots/property. Organizations represented include the City Planning Commission, Project Housing Opportunity Medical Education, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the John F. Street Transition Team. There is also a group of Polaroid photographs showing various Philadelphia street scenes from the 1990s. Additional items in the collection include Mural Arts Program calendars from 1999-2005, a 2004 Print Center poster for the exhibition “Honky Tonk,” a 2003 Fabric Museum and Workshop poster depicting a work by artist Virgil Marti, and eight large rolled maps/plans.
Preferred citation
Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Judith Shuman Eden papers on Philadelphia urban affairs (Collection 3657), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Background note
Judith Shuman was born July 10, 1947, in West Lafayette, Indiana, and she grew up in Defiance, Ohio, where she graduated from high school in 1965. While studying at the University of Cincinnati, she met her husband, Avi Eden. They moved to the Boston area, where Judith attended Boston University for law school. After graduating in 1972, Judith converted to Judaism and the couple got married on September 3, 1972. Judith and Avi then moved to Philadelphia and plunged into civic life. Her love for Philadelphia led her to become a powerful and influential figure in zoning and the arts.
As a zoning attorney and civic activist Eden played a significant role in Philadelphia’s Center City transformation in the 1990s and 2000s. She made a name for herself by battling billboards and advocating for sidewalk cafes (instead of buildings extending beyond their boundaries), and stately iron railings with brick pillars replacing chain-link fences around parking lots. She was active in many civic organizations and causes including: Project Housing Opportunity Medical Education, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Center City Residents' Association, the Mural Arts Program, Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight (SCRUB) and the John F. Street Transition Team. Judith served four years on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, an agency with which she had battled for nearly two decades, by Mayor John F. Street and was later appointed to the Zoning Code Commission by Mayor Michael Nutter.
Judith died of cancer August 8, 2008, at the age of 61. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons and a daughter.
Scope and content note
The Judith Shuman Eden papers on Philadelphia urban affairs are housed in eight boxes and one flat file. They document mostly her professional career in Philadelphia. The collection has been divided in five series: Homelessness (Series 1), Parking and Transportation (Series 2), Zoning (Series 3), City Planning (Series 4), and Historic Preservation (Series 5). The collection consists almost solely of printed materials relating to the organizations and causes Eden worked with. The collection does not contain documentation of her family or personal life.
The first series, Homelessness, contains printed materials such as pamphlets, flyers and newspaper clippings concerning homelessness, side walk ordinance, Project HOME, and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (Box 1, Folders 1-4). The series also contains Mayor Edward G. Rendell's 1993 statement of strategies to combat homelessness in the city of Philadelphia. (Box 1, Folder 3).
The second series, Parking and Transportation, consists of reports, policies, proposals, permits, guides, newspaper clippings and other printed materials (Box 1, Folders 5-14). The materials relate to the Avenue of the Arts, Inc., the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and transportation improvements in the Philadelphia region. Also included in this series are printed materials concerning Philly Walks and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (Box 1, Folder 11).
The third series, Zoning, comprises the contents of Boxes 1 and 2, as well as Flat File 1. The series contains correspondence, reports, proposals, zoning permit applications, public hearing materials, notes, and newspaper clippings. The materials relate to the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections and the Philadelphia Zoning code. Oversized maps of Center City and Northeast Philadelphia from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission have been placed in Flat File 1.
The fourth series, City Planning, contains printed materials, newsletters, reports, guides, posters, calendars, petition forms, pamphlets and newspaper clippings. Much of the series’ materials relates to future plans for Philadelphia with regard to parks, graffiti, retail shops and markets, and streetscape. Mural Arts calendars from 1999-2005 have been placed in Box 3, Folders 4 and 5. Also contained in the series are two printed art posters: "Bully Wallpaper" by Virgil Marti and "Honky Tonk: Porttaits of Country Music' by Henry Morenstein (Box 8, Folders 2-3).
The final series, Historic Preservation, consists of manuals, guides, newsletters, handbooks, Polaroid photographs and other printed materials. The materials relate to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and various architectural guides. Also contained in the series are ninety-two Polaroid photographs taken by Judith Shuman Eden of various Center City Philadelphia street scenes (Box 7, Folder 5).
Overview of arrangement
Series I. Homelessness, 1993-2004, undated; 4 folders
Series II. Parking and transportation, 1988-2001, 2005, undated; 10 folders
Series III. Zoning, 1990-1999, 2004, undated; 8 folders, 1 flat file
Series IV. City planning, 1988-2005, undated; 45 folders
Series V. Historic preservation, 1983, 1986-2004, undated; 25 folders
Administrative Information
Publication Information
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2015.
1300 Locust StreetPhiladelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200
Provenance
Gift of Avi Eden, 2011.
Accession number 2011.065.
Controlled Access Headings
Personal Name(s)
- Eden, Avi D.
Subject(s)
- Avenue of the Arts (Philadelphia, Pa.).
- Central business districts--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
- City planning--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
- Historic preservation--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
- Lawyers--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--20th century.
- Local transit--Economic aspects--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
- Philadelphia (Pa.). Department of Licenses and Inspections.
- Philadelphia Historical Commission.
- Philadelphia Independent Charter Commission.
- Photography--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--History.
- Transportation--Pennsylvania--20th century.
- Urban policy--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
- Women political activists--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
Collection Inventory
Series I. HomelessnessSeries descriptionThis series consists of printed material concerning homelessness and side walk ordinance which includes pamphlets, flyers, and newspaper clippings. This series also consists of printed material from Project H.O.M.E., an organization whose mission is to empower our community to break the cycle of homelessness and alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, a coalition meant to unite government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiatives to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities, and solve emerging issues. |
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| Box | Folder | |||
|
Homelessness and sidewalk ordinance material, including pamphlets and flyers 1998-1999, undated |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition: Blueprint to end homelessness printed material 1998, 2004 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
Mayor Edward G. Rendell statement of strategies to combat homelessness in the city of Philadelphia 30 September 1993 |
1 | 3 | ||
|
Project H.O.M.E. and newspaper clippings about sidewalk ordinance 1997-1998, 2000 |
1 | 4 | ||
|
|
||||
Series II. Parking and transportationSeries descriptionThis series consists of reports, policies, proposals, permits, guides, newspaper clippings and other printed materials. The materials relate to Avenue of the Arts, Inc., an independent non-profit organization created in 1993 to coordinate and oversee the growth and development of Broad Street ; the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s parking policies; the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia; parking garage construction in the city; and transportation improvements in the Philadelphia region. |
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| Box | Folder | |||
|
A Citizen's Guide to the Regional Planning Process, and Community Impact Assessment 1996, undated |
1 | 5 | ||
|
Avenue of the Arts, Inc. transportation materials 2000-2001 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
Central Philadelphia Development Corporation: Draft of Center City Parking Study Preliminary Findings and Maps 15 December 2000 |
1 | 7 | ||
|
Livable Communities through Safe Transportation 2000 |
1 | 8 | ||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: Center City Parking Policy Evaluation 2005 |
1 | 9 | ||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: Off-street Parking materials 1995, undated |
1 | 10 | ||
|
Philly Walks and Bicycle Coalition printed material 1999, undated |
1 | 11 | ||
|
The Plan for Center City: Parking in Center City 1988 |
1 | 12 | ||
|
Rittenhouse parking garage proposal and permit, including newspaper clippings and map of Center City Philadelphia 1990, 1997-1998, 2000 |
1 | 13 | ||
|
Transportation Improvements for Increased Livability in the Philadelphia Region 1999 |
1 | 14 | ||
|
|
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Series III. ZoningSeries descriptionThis series consists of correspondence, reports, proposals, zoning permit applications, public hearing materials, notes, maps, and newspaper clippings. The materials relate to the Building Industry of Philadelphia, an association which promotes residential development and construction in Philadelphia; the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections; the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s zoning maps; and the Philadelphia Zoning Code, which regulates development within the city such as governing land use, the height and bulk of buildings, population density, parking requirements, the placement of signs, character of development on private property, and property uses. |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
A Report from the Building Industry of Philadelphia 2004 |
1 | 15 | ||
|
A Zoning Analysis of a Proposal to Construct Outdoor Advertising Non-Accessory Signs Along I-95, Near the Southwest Water Pollution Control Plant, City of Philadelphia, PA 21 December 1999 |
1 | 16 | ||
|
Applications for zoning permits and public hearing materials, inlcuding notes, maps and newspaper clippings 1999, undated |
1 | 17 | ||
|
Correspondence letters concerning permits and licenses for new establishments, including copies of newspaper clippings 1994-1995, 1999 |
1 | 18 | ||
|
Department of Licenses and Inspections Handbook and Zoning: How to Obtain a Zoning Permit 1990, 1995 |
2 | 1 | ||
| Oversize | ||||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: Zoning Maps of Center City West and Northeast Philadelphia 1999 |
Flat File 1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: Zoning Remapping in Philadelphia 1997 |
2 | 2 | ||
|
The Foundation for Architecture: New Center City Zoning Code Promoting Civic Values 10 March 1992 |
2 | 3 | ||
|
The Plan for Center City: Revising the Zoning Code: New "C-4" and "C-5" Commercial Districts, Proposed Zoning Ordinance and Commentary 1990 |
2 | 4 | ||
|
|
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Series IV. City planningSeries descriptionThis series consists of printed material, newsletters, reports, guides, posters, calendars, petition forms, pamphlets and newspaper clippings. The material relates to Avenue of the Arts, Inc., an independent non-profit organization created in 1993 to coordinate and oversee the growth and development of Broad Street; Campaign Finance Reform and Clean Money Clean Elections campaign, which support the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns; the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections; vacant property management; graffiti; parks and public lands. The material also relates to the Mayor John F. Street Transition Team; the Mural Arts Program, which enables professional artists and young Philadelphians to showcase their artistic talent in a constructive way; the Philadelphia Art Commission, a charter-mandated design review board for architecture and public art; and the Philadelphia Independent Charter Commission, whose function was to study the existing Home Rule Charter of Philadelphia and propose suitable changes to the Charter to assist Philadelphia municipal government in meeting its current and potential future obligations in servicing the public. |
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| Box | Folder | |||
|
Avenue of the Arts, Inc. printed material 1999-2000 |
2 | 5 | ||
|
Avenue of the Arts, Inc.: Extending the Vision for South Broad Street; including a copy 1999 |
8 | 1 | ||
|
Avenue of the Arts and its Neighborhoods: Next Strategic Steps in the South Broad Street Corridor 1994 |
2 | 6 | ||
|
Campaign Finance Reform and Clean Money, Clean Election Campaign materials, including newspaper clippings and petition forms 1999, undated |
2 | 7 | ||
|
Campaign button for Clean Money Clean Elections campaign undated |
2 | 8 | ||
|
Center City Farmers' Market Committee: A Farmers' Market for Rittenhouse Square: A Proposal 2002 |
2 | 9 | ||
|
Central Philadelphia Development Corporation: Philadelphia's economic revival: A closer look at the impact of taxes undated |
2 | 10 | ||
|
Citizens' Assembly for a Greater Phialdelphia printed material 1992 |
2 | 11 | ||
|
Citizens' Assembly for a Greater Philadelphia: "Democracy in Action" Progress Report on Activites 1991-1992 |
2 | 12 | ||
|
Citizens' Guide to the Philadelphia Budget 1989 |
2 | 13 | ||
|
City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections: A Guide for Child Day Care Providers undated |
2 | 14 | ||
|
Graffiti newsletters and other printed material concerning graffiti 1996-1997, undated |
2 | 15 | ||
|
Letter to Judith Eden from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, and Report on Vacant Property Management 1990 |
2 | 16 | ||
|
Long Range Plan for Center City Residents Association (CCRA) Neighborhood 1993 |
2 | 17 | ||
|
Mayor John F. Street Transition Team materials 2000, undated |
3 | 1 | ||
|
Miscellaneous documents and printed material 1992, 1996-1997, undated |
3 | 2 | ||
|
Miscellaneous printed material, including pamphlets and newspapers 1997-1998, 2003, undated |
3 | 3 | ||
|
Mural Arts Program Calendars 1999-2000 |
3 | 4 | ||
|
Mural Arts Program Calendars 2001-2005 |
3 | 5 | ||
|
Philadelphia Art Commission: Toward a Vision of the Public Environment 1991 |
3 | 6 | ||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: A Renewal Agenda for Off Broad East, and Market Street East Urban Design Study undated |
3 | 7 | ||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: Investing in Philadelphia: The 1994-1999 Capital Program undated |
3 | 8 | ||
|
Philadelphia City Planning Commission: Investing in Philadelphia: The 1995-2000 Capital Program undated |
3 | 9 | ||
|
Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth printed material 2001 |
3 | 10 | ||
|
Philadelphia Independent Charter Commission: Proposed 1994 Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, and Report to the Voters 1994 |
3 | 11 | ||
|
Philadelphia Independent Charter Commission: "Redline" Version of Proposed 1994 Philadelphia Home Rule Charter 25 March 1994 |
4 | 1 | ||
|
Philadelphia Independent Charter Commission: The Preliminary and Final Recommendations 1993, 20 February 1994 |
4 | 2 | ||
|
Philadelphia Parks Alliance: What's the Plan? A Citizens' Guide to "A Bridge to the Future: Fairmount Park Strategic Plan" 2005 |
4 | 3 | ||
|
Philadelphia Shops printed material 1989, 1996 |
4 | 4 | ||
|
Philadelphia's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (NTI) materials 2001, undated |
4 | 5 | ||
|
Printed art posters: Bully Wallpaper by Virgil Marti 1992 |
8 | 2 | ||
|
Printed art posters: Honky Tonk: Portaits of Country Music by Henry Morenstein 2004 |
8 | 3 | ||
|
Reconnecting Chestnut Street 2003 |
4 | 6 | ||
|
Retail Action Plan for Center City District Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1999 |
4 | 7 | ||
|
Schuykill River printed material 1998-1999, 2004 |
4 | 8 | ||
|
Services, Statistics, and Community Activities of the Graduate Hospital 1997 |
4 | 9 | ||
|
South Broad Street Economic and Cultural Development Plan printed material 1991-1992 |
4 | 10 | ||
|
Strawberry Mansion Community Plan: Strategies for Neighborhood Revitalization 2004 |
4 | 11 | ||
|
Streetscape Design: Investing in a Walkable City, and a Streetscape study by Linda Berger 1993, 2000 |
4 | 12 | ||
|
The Art Commission: Draft of Sign Guidelines 26 February 1992 |
4 | 13 | ||
|
The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program: The Price is Wrong: Getting the Market Right for Working Families in Philadelphia 2005 |
4 | 14 | ||
|
The District Attorney's Community Guide to Drug and Alcohol Related Nuisance Enforcement undated |
4 | 15 | ||
|
The Plan for Center City posters 1988 |
4 | 16 | ||
|
The Plan for Center City printed material 1988, 1990-1991 |
5 | 1 | ||
|
The Shils Report: Measuring the Economic and Sociological Impact of the Mega-Retail Discount Chains on Small Enterprise in Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities 7 February 1997 |
5 | 2 | ||
|
U.S. Naval Home Reuse Study, Philadelphia, PA undated |
5 | 3 | ||
|
|
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Series V. Historic preservationSeries descriptionThis series consists of manuals, guides, newsletters, handbooks, Polaroid photographs and other printed material. The material relates to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation, and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage; the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places; the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, which actively promotes the appreciation, protection, and appropriate use and development of the Philadelphia region’s historic buildings, communities and landscapes; The Interiors Handbook for Historic Buildings; The Philadelphia Architect newsletters; and 92 Polaroid photographs taken by Judith Shuman Eden of various Center City Philadelphia street scenes. |
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| Box | Folder | |||
|
A Manual for Pennsylvania Historical Architectural Review Boards and Historical Commissions; including two copies 1998 |
5 | 4 | ||
|
Certification Agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by and through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the City of Philadelphia 1986 |
5 | 5 | ||
|
Miscellaneous printed material and mail 1995, 1997-1999, 2000-2002 |
5 | 6 | ||
|
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 26 October 1992 |
5 | 7 | ||
|
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission: Guidelines for Implementation of the Certified Local Governments Program in Pennsylvania 1987 |
5 | 8 | ||
|
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission: Historic District Designation in Pennsylvania; including two copies 1997 |
5 | 9 | ||
|
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission: Historical Preservation Grants, and Technical Assistance Grants for Museums and Historical Societies; including copies 1 June 1998, undated |
5 | 10 | ||
|
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission: Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Guidelines; including a copy 1998-1999 |
5 | 11 | ||
|
Philadelphia Historical Commission: The Spring Garden Historic District: A Guide for Property Owners undated |
5 | 12 | ||
|
Philadelphia Register of Historic Places: Rittenhouse/Filter Residential District undated |
5 | 13 | ||
|
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia: The Economic Benefits of Preserving Philadelphia's Past 1998 |
5 | 14 | ||
|
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia: The Rittenhouse Filter Historic District Manual: A Guide for Property Owners undated |
5 | 15 | ||
|
Rittenhouse Filter Residential Historic District: Inventory; including a copy 8 February 1995 |
6 | 1 | ||
|
Studio Fall 2000: Preservation Plan 2000 |
6 | 2 | ||
|
The Book of Interior Renovation: selected articles from back issues of the Old-House Journal 1993 |
6 | 3 | ||
|
The Interiors Handbook for Historic Buildings: Volume II: Table of Contents, 1. Planning, 2. Maintenance and Protection 1993 |
6 | 8 | ||
|
The Interiors Handbook for Historic Building: Volume II: 3. Architectural and Mechanical Features, 4. Walls, Ceilings, and Floors, 5. Wall Coverings and Textiles 1993 |
6 | 5 | ||
|
The Interiors Handbook for Historic Buildings: Volume II: 6. Paints and Consolidants, 7. Fixtures and Furnishings, 8. General Reference 1993 |
6 | 6 | ||
|
The Philadelphia Architect newsletters 1996-1997, 2002 |
6 | 7 | ||
|
The Philadelphia Architect newsletters 2003 |
6 | 8 | ||
|
The Philadelphia Architect newsletters 2004 |
7 | 1 | ||
|
The Philadelphia Neighborhood Conservation District: Volume I: A Model Program; including a copy 1992 |
7 | 2 | ||
|
The Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings 1983, 1990, undated |
7 | 3 | ||
|
The Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings 1992 |
7 | 4 | ||
|
92 Polaroid photographs taken by Judith Shuman Eden of various Center City Philadelphia street scenes 19 April 1994, undated |
7 | 5 | ||
|
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