Parking enforcement looks the other way when residents of South Philly park in the median of Broad Street. Not even a lawsuit can change that.
"A judge has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at getting the Police Department and the Philadelphia Parking Authority to end the long standing practice of allowing motorists to park on the Broad Street median in South Philly," report Joseph A. Gambardello and Howard Gensler.
"Jake Liefer, the co-founder of self-proclaimed “urbanist” political action committee 5th Square, filed suit on July 20 in a bid to end parking on the Broad Street median, which, while a longstanding tradition, is technically against the law," according to the article.
5th Square cited public safety in pushing for the enforcement of parking laws on the median of Broad Street. Critics of the lawsuit, including Joe LiTrenta, who wrote an op-ed for the Inquirer, argue that disallowing g parking in the median would hurt the neighborhood. Planetizen picked up on the news of this debate in August 2016.
Median Parking: A South Philly Tradition Some Hope Will End
A group of local activists argue that the median parking that is so common on South Broad is dangerous. Some South Philly residents say median parking is part of the neighborhood's DNA.
People’s Park—Symbol of Berkeley’s Storied Past—Temporarily Cleared and Fenced Off for Development
A few days after a judge’s ruling cleared three pending lawsuits blocking the development of People’s Park, the unhoused people living in the park were cleared and fence surrounds the site. Protestors took back the park within a day.
Gowanus Rezoning Clears Post-Approval Legal Hurdle
The saga of the Gowanus Neighborhood Planning Study, approved by New York City at the end of 2021, continues into the summer of 2022. Opponents claimed the Gowanus rezoning ran afoul of the state’s environment law. A county judge dismissed the case.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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