Philadelphia Daily News

For years, absentee owners of Philadelphia eyesores avoided penalties from Licenses and Inspections, often because citations and warnings were sent to vacant properties. Now, commissioner Fran Burns can summon those owners back to the city.

A new study suggests that Philadelphia's 40,000 vacant buildings reduce home values by as much as $8,000 and cost the city $20 million per year in maintenance.

Thanks in part to federal grants, wheelchair-accessible taxi service is available in most major American cities - San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., but not in Philadelphia, where the issue is stalled in the statehouse.

A Philly street once dubbed the "Skid Row" of Fishtown has been transformed by a handful of determined residents through years of painting, sweeping and fixing broken windows.

Philadelphians (and the Obama administration) sing the praises of the city's Fresh Food Financing Initiative, which works to bring healthy produce and groceries to underserved locations.

Mini-farms across the city boost neighborhood appearances, help low-income residents in tough economic times

Subway violence and crime in Philadelphia have been unofficially traced to truant students, who are enabled by unlimited rides on the SEPTA throughout the week. Whether or not the student TransPass system should be eliminated is being debated.

Senator Obama seems to be more "responsive" to cities' needs, while Senator McCain's focus is largely on cutting taxes to restore jobs and business.