Philadelphia
Optimism Indicator: Record Number of Building Permits in Philadelphia
Observers of Philadelphia’s economic and social situation can celebrate, and worry, given recent data on issues like poverty, crime, and the job market. One bright spot, however, is 2013's record number of building permits.
Friday Funny: Copy-Cat Planner Can't Help It
The Onion has once again focused its satirical gaze on the art and science of planning, this time telling the fictional story of a planner in Des Moines, Iowa, who just couldn't help but copy Philadelphia.
Which Is the Problem: Affordable Housing or Poverty?
Jonathan Geeting argues that Philadelphia’s recently proposed affordable housing program is focusing on the wrong problem—in Philadelphia, housing is quite affordable, but people are still too poor to afford it.
1,500 Affordable Housing Units Proposed for Philadelphia
The “1,500 New Affordable Housing Units Initiative” would target gentrifying neighborhoods in the hopes of preserving a mix of incomes where housing costs are pricing-out long-term residents.
Philadelphia Sending More Money to Street Repair
Following a long winter, the Philadelphia Streets Department is on pace to break records for pothole repair, but that won’t be the only improvement paid for by a proposed 33 percent increase in funding to the Streets Department.
Oil Trains from North Dakota to the Rescue in Philadelphia
The hazards of shipping North Dakotan crude-by-rail have been well documented and are the focus of new DOT regulations due to its volatility, but there's a more positive side to this oil and the trains that deliver it, illustrated in Philadelphia.
This is Awkward—Highway Widening Projects Based on Obsolete Projections
Several highway-widening projects on the East Coast were approved under the pretense of expected growth in traffic totals. Now planners are scrambling to figure out the new normal.
Keys to a Successful Land Bank
Philadelphia recently became the largest U.S. city to create a “land bank.” As new land banks spring up across the country, it is important to take a close look at what needs to accompany them if we want to have real impact.
Historic Examples of 'Urbanism Without Government'
We’ve all heard the question “but who will build the roads?” put to libertarians. In a recent article, Emily Washington examines historic examples of urban settings that developed without the guidance of a government.
Calling for a 'Design Revolution' in Philadelphia
The recently rejected proposal for a new Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia failed to live up to the spirit of that seminal event, writes Nathaniel Popkin.
Philadelphia’s Middle Class—Down But Not Out
A new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts tracks the demographics of Philadelphia between 1970 and 2010. Overall, middle class residents left the city during those decades, but there are reasons for optimism regarding the prosperity of the city.
Bad Architecture, Good Urbanism in Philadelphia
The Mormon Church released renderings for development plans at 16th and Vine in Philadelphia. The plan's grab-bag of historic architecture styles succeeds in urbanism but roots the area in an unfortunate historicism, according to critic Inga Saffron.
New Proposal for Makeover of LOVE Park in Philadelphia
After months of back and forth, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and City Council President Darrell L. Clarke “reached an agreement that would allow the rehabilitation of John F. Kennedy Plaza and the sale of the garage beneath LOVE Park.”
Zoning Code Change Considered to Protect Philly’s Cornice Lines
To protect the character of city blocks, a Philadelphia councilwoman has proposed new restrictions on building heights on blocks with uniformly two-story buildings.
More Funding for Philly’s Urban Watershed Efforts
With the "Green City, Clean Waters" initiative already underway, a recent grant from the U.S. EPA will help Philadelphia evaluate best practices for building and maintaing its urban watershed.
Report: Millennials Only Have Conditional Love for Philly
Like many cities amidst an influx of Millennials, Philadelphia must solve problems with crime and eduction for the young generation to stay. A new report from Pew Charitable Trusts indicates many Millennials have no intentions of sticking around.
Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia Subject of Preservation Battle
Developers are seeking allowances to gut the historic Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia to build an eight-screen movie complex.
Philadelphia Skyscraper Rewrites the Corporate Headquarters Script
Comcast recently released designs for a $1.2 billion skyscraper in Downtown Philadelphia. The building’s potential starkly contrasts the suburban model of commercial office parks.
SEPTA Plans How to Spend Gas Tax Windfall
With a transformative transportation law now on the books, Pennsylvania's largest transit system has turned from planning for "doomsday" to "payday" as it decides how to allocate a twofold increase in capital spending.
What Could Philadelphia Teach Rome About Reducing Traffic?
Rome's new mayor spent two decades in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and he's bringing lessons learned while living car-free in the United States to help solve Rome's traffic problems.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
