City governments may feel burdened by aging transit systems, outdated electrical grids and old military bases, but they can also take a different approach: Instead letting these old pieces of infrastructure give them headaches, city leaders can begin to see them as grounds for innovation.

Legacy and Innovation, a symposium that will be hosted in Philly this October, will focus on cities taking advantage of this tactic. Next City is a media partner for the event and will be live-blogging from the conference. Join us at the University of Pennsylvania to discuss strategies that allow cities to re-imagine and repurpose their assets, from using narrow streets to foster walkability to turning energy systems into spurs for economic development.

Speakers include Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution, Navarrow Wright of Starfish Media Group and Close the Divide, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. You can register here. Early bird registration is now available through September 15 for the price of $10. Check out Nutter’s invitation below.

Cassie Owens is a regular contributor to Next City. Her writing has also appeared at CNN.com, Philadelphia City Paper and other publications.

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