The country's oldest design event of its kind is returning to Philadelphia October 8 through 16, with a 100-event program spotlighting the work of hundreds of designers, architects and creative pros. This year's theme is Shift, which draws its influence from Philadelphia's changing cityscape. The program, organized for the first time this year into six tracks geared towards varied audiences and goals, will delve into shifts in design practices, education and processes.

“As part of DesignPhiladelphia’s mission, we encourage the general public to consider all the different ways in which they engage with design every day, both personally and professionally,” said Nova Harris, program manager of DesignPhiladelphia. “These new tracks are a way to help festival-goers find the events that resonate with them, but at the same time we hope the tracks will encourage people to experience design in a way that they hadn’t considered before.”

The six program tracks include: For the Advocate, dedicated to "demonstrate the power of design to solve problems, drive innovation and improve the quality of life in the city"; For the Practitioner, targeting design pros, students and faculty; For the Explorer, with interactive and hands-on events, tours and workshops; For the Enthusiast, aimed at introducing the ideas and people behind current design trends; For the Next Generation, offering children and young adults special opportunities; and For the Patron, aimed at spotlighting creative vendors, products and services.

DesignPhiladelphia will kick off with a cocktail party and benefit held at the Liao Collection's showroom, featuring whiskey tastings, live entertainment, and a preview of Pearl Street Passage, this year's marquee event. Pearl Street Passage will outfit the 1100 block of Pearl Street in the Chinatown North/Callowhill with 10 temporary art installations from teams of local designers, artists, builders and other creative pros.

“Philadelphia has always been a hub for creative activity, and today, Philadelphia’s creative economy is nearly 50,000 people strong,” said Rebecca Johnson, executive director of Philadelphia Center for Architecture. “The Center for Architecture looks forward to DesignPhiladelphia each year to celebrate the designers and architects who are working together to improve the community and people’s lives through design.”

Discover the schedule in full online.