Philadelphia

Philadelphia Bike Lane

Philly Road Safety Advocates Call for Action From the City

Mayor Parker’s administration is proposing massive cuts to the city’s Vision Zero program while pedestrian and cyclist deaths remain high.

July 29, 2024 - Billy Penn

Aerial view of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with statues.

Philadelphia: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City

One of the nation’s oldest cities, Philadelphia boasts a rich history and a walkable, compact central grid built around public plazas.

July 25, 2024 - Planetizen

View of three-lane Roosevelt Boulevard with green Roosevelt Expressway road sign in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia’s Speed Cameras Are Working

Speeding violations plummeted after automated enforcement cameras were installed along Roosevelt Boulevard.

July 9, 2024 - Next City

Green parking-protected bike lane in Philadelphia with old church in background

Philly Mayor Proposes Major Cuts to Vision Zero

Despite promises to make the city’s roadways safer for pedestrians and cyclists, the proposed budget slashes Vision Zero funding nearly in half.

May 15, 2024 - MSN

Bus Service

Philly Free Transit Pilot Clocks 1.8 Million Rides

A two-year pilot program from SEPTA offers free fares to 25,000 low-income riders.

April 28, 2024 - Next City

Empty hallway lined with white tile in subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety

More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.

April 23, 2024 - WHYY

Transit police officer standing on subway platform with blurred train passing behind him.

New Philly Fare Gates ‘Astonishingly Easy to Beat’

A set of high-tech gates aimed at limiting fare evasion is already failing.

April 8, 2024 - 6ABC

Night view of Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania looking toward Philadelphia City Hall.

Reimagining a Major Philly Street for People, Not Cars

The Ben Franklin Parkway was originally designed as a bucolic escape from the city. It could be that way again.

March 24, 2024 - Next City

View of narrow alley on Philadelphia's Quince Street with fall leaves.

Video: A ‘European-Style’ Street in Philadelphia

With its narrow lanes and mature trees, Philadelphia’s Quince Street illustrates what’s possible.

December 28, 2023 - Next City

Phialdelphia skyline at sunset with close-up of bridge in foreground.

How Effective are Philadelphia’s Keystone Opportunity Zones?

The impacts of a tax break designed to create jobs, stimulate development, and reduce blight are proving hard to track.

December 13, 2023 - Next City

Row of five white chairs set against a blue wall with a round white analog clock. Clinic waiting room.

The Messy Politics of Saving Lives from Drug Overdoses

Philadelphia was on the verge of approving a key harm reduction strategy to prevent fatal drug overdoses until the city council all but banned supervised injection sites, overriding a mayoral veto. A New York Times report explores the controversy.

October 26, 2023 - The New York Times

Overhead view of white BUS LANE sign painted on red background on concrete street.

Philadelphia Bus Cameras Document Over 30,000 Violations

A pilot program tested AI-powered cameras that monitored bus-only lanes for parked vehicles.

October 15, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Green parking-protected bike lane in Philadelphia with old church in background

Philadelphia Traffic Calming Initiative Pays Off

City officials say serious crashes are down by 34 percent on streets that were the target of Complete Streets projects.

October 12, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Close-up of SEPTA logo in white letters on red line at top of SEPTA bus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Moves to Improve Paratransit Services

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s partnership with a technology provider will boost the system’s paratransit and microtransit services to improve access and accessibility.

October 11, 2023 - Mass Transit

Riverfront park in Philadelphia with white gazebo and skyscrapers in background.

Identifying Park Inequities Through Data Science

Researchers used a machine learning algorithm to analyze over 200 parks in Philadelphia, revealing insights about differences in access to quality parks.

October 10, 2023 - Phys.org

Yellow and black "SLOW SPEED HUMP" sign on residential street

Philadelphia Continues Traffic Calming Program

The city is installing ‘vertical deflection devices’ such as speed tables on some of its most dangerous streets.

October 4, 2023 - WHYY

Blue picnic table with attached benches and colorful children's playground in background.

A Data-Driven Approach to ‘Playspace Inequity’

Mapping playgrounds and their conditions can reveal how childhood play opportunities are inequitably distributed within cities.

September 29, 2023 - Next City

Rendering of people walking in waterfront park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philly Waterfront Park Breaks Ground

Penn’s Landing is an ambitious redesign of 11.5 waterfront acres.

September 15, 2023 - The Architect's Newspaper

SEPTA Bus

The Bus Revolution Has Been Revised in Philadelphia

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority went back to the drawing board with its Bus Revolution system redesign after an initial round of feedback completed earlier this year.

September 4, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Vintage green Phialdelphia trolley moving down street

Retro Trolleys Returning to Philadelphia

The freshly restored vintage fleet will maintain service frequency on Route 15 before eventually being replaced by newer models.

July 11, 2023 - Billy Penn

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.