Back then, many in the city vehemently resisted the construction of the Liberty towers because they would violate the unwritten rule that no building exceed the height of William Penn's hat atop City Hall.

That all seems so quaint today. And so Philadelphia. But the city has grown up since then, and is making strides to be world-class rather than small-town.

Indeed, the city should welcome Unisys' plan to move its headquarters to Philadelphia - and do much more to figure out how to get other businesses to locate here.

Too many companies have moved away, and not many are lining up to come here. In fact, denying Unisys its sign could cause the Fortune 500 firm to re-think its relocation. That would underscore the city's reputation as a tough place to do business.

There really isn't a strong argument against Unisys' proposed sign - unless you live in one of the million-dollar condos that will have an up-close view of 11-foot-high red letters planned for the 38th and 39th floors on two sides of the building.

In a perfect world, corporate names wouldn't be plastered on buildings, ballparks and billboards.

But take a look around the city skyline. Many of the most recognizable buildings have corporate names, tickers or logos on them, from Aramark to Peco to Blue Cross. A couple of the most iconic buildings have names of companies that no longer exist: PSFS and PNB.

What's six more letters?