Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Expresses Solidarity for Cities

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf grew up in a small town, but he has since adopted cities among his political causes. In recent remarks, he detailed his opinions about how public policy shortchanges cities—in Pennsylvania and the country.

1 minute read

May 13, 2016, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pennsylvania State Capitol

mandritoiu / Shutterstock

Karen Langley summarizes recent statements by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf: "Flawed policies, social biases, and a lack of imagination are hurting Pennsylvania's cities…"

Gov. Wolf's comments came during a conference hosted by Keystone Crossroads. The background of the remarks are the state's forthcoming budget process, which has turned into a "an us-vs.-them" battle for "how much money flows to Pennsylvania's cities and its rural areas," according to Langley.

Langley assesses the governor's remarks as "blistering." In his own words: "The public policy environment in Pennsylvania, and in most places in the United States, is absolutely, positively hostile to cities…"

Patrick Doyle also covered the governor's remarks for Keystone Crossroads, providing additional conceptual framework to appreciate the governor's remarks. Keystone Crossroads also produced a video of the governor's remarks in full, and shared it on Vimeo.

Governor Tom Wolf's keynote address at Keystone Crossroads' Urban Ideas Worth Stealing from Keystone Crossroads on Vimeo.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 in The Philadelphia Inquirer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

5 hours ago - San Francisco Examiner

Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth

Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

6 hours ago - GovTech

Top view new development riverside residential and commercial neighborhood with vacant land in Texas, USA.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas

Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.

7 hours ago - The Texas Tribune