Join DesignPhiladelphia, a fantasticl panelists, and design minds on Friday, October 9, 2026  at  Village of Industry for our second annual Next Now Symposium. This year we're gocused on how Philadelphia can build more homes, make them more affordable, and create housing that works for more people.

Presented alongside The Architecture of Us, The Next Now Design Symposium: Innovation in Housing brings together architects, policymakers, and housing advocates for a half-day conversation about the future of housing in Philadelphia and beyond.

The symposium will look at how these challenges are playing out nationally and what it will take to act on them locally, from legalizing single-stair apartment buildings to expanding accessory dwelling units, shared living models, and accessible design for aging in place.

The conversation begins with Single-Stair / Point-Access Block Advocacy, exploring the national movement to legalize and incentivize single-stair housing development. Stephen Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Building in North America, will join additional panelists to discuss the possibilities and challenges of this approach.

The Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) panel will look at how Philadelphia is making ADUs easier to build and what it takes to design them well within existing rowhome typologies. The Community Design Collaborative will join additional panelists for the conversation.

Next, Shared Living: Housing for Different Life Stages and Lifestyles will explore co-housing and shared living models designed for a range of ages, incomes, and household types.

The symposium closes with Accessibility, Health Tech, and Aging in Place, examining how technology originally developed to support people with disabilities and older adults is expanding to support people of all ages and abilities at home. Inglis will join additional panelists for the discussion.

AIA members can earn continuing education credits, and members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend. A reception will follow at Frankie’s Summer Social in VIA’s outdoor courtyard.

Tickets: $75 general admission | $25 students