Meet Fast Forward Presenter >> Sarah Thorp

What is your Big Idea for Philadelphia?

Flying & Architecture

When I left my 10-year career as a Navy pilot to move to Philadelphia for graduate school in architecture and historic preservation many people couldn’t understand the connection between my seemingly very different professions. However, flying and architecture have many similarities like three-dimensional and spatial awareness, years of training, and, of course, a seemingly obsessive work schedule. This presentation is about the similarities of flying and architecture, and believe it or not, there is also a connection to the future of design in Philadelphia! 

Sarah Thorp has been working as an urban planner in Philadelphia for the past six years, most recently as the Director of Planning for the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation where she was the project manager for the master plan for Philadelphia’s Central Delaware waterfront. In a previous life she was a pilot in the US Navy, where she flew on aircraft carriers in various regions around the world. She is currently working on planning and policy issues at the Philadelphia Water Department where she gets to combine two of her passions (water and urban planning).