Eliminating parking minimums and reforming Philadelphia's tax abatement program could do a lot in making Philadelphia affordable, Inga Saffron argues.

Philadelphia is grappling with legislation to change affordable housing requirements. A bill on the subject from Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez will not come to a vote because of opposition from some who worried a low-income housing requirement would end up lowering density in the city and having the perverse effect of making housing more expensive for many.
Inga Saffron argues, in a piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer, that though the bill may have failed before it got to a vote, it did the important work of getting the council focused on housing costs. Saffron offers her own suggestions for how to achieve that goal, including: revising the ten-year property tax abatement (which has helped fuel the housing boom in Philadelphia), eliminating parking minimums, and increasing the transfer tax to subsidize affordable housing.
FULL STORY: Want more affordable housing in Philadelphia? Try these five strategies

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.

Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads
If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.

Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years
The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.

NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums
Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.
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