Philadelphia
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.
Could Vacant Schools Help Meet Philly's Affordable Housing Needs?
In Philadelphia, and other cities going through demographic changes, shuttered schools provide a challenge and opportunity for redevelopment and reuse. Two board members of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) offer a creative solution.
Seeking an Automotive Balance in Philly
The city continues to grapple with the practical implications of local planning legend Edmund Bacon's prescriptions for carless streets.
Can a Land Bank Help Dispose of Philadelphia's 40,000 Vacant Properties?
Seeking to stabilize healthy neighborhoods and revitalize others, Philadelphia is planning to establish a land bank to "consolidate its inventory of distressed real estate," reports Jon Hurdle. The plan could become a national model.
Unusual Approach to Public Engagement Produces Exciting Results in Philadelphia
Rather than bringing a powerpoint presentation and ritzy renderings to a meeting with neighborhood residents, developer Omar Blaik brought blank sheets of paper. The result? A process devoid of the usual rancor and a denser design than zoning allows.
Philly Swaps Squad Cars for Foot Patrols
Philadelphia's police force has increased the proportion of police on foot in its most violent neighborhoods. Not everyone likes the new presence, but the change has has achieved remarkable reductions in violent crime.
Philly's Ugliest New Building Shows the Folly of Public Subsidies
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron has the knives out for a new hotel built in Center City, calling it the 'worst new architecture' in the city. Worse yet, we all helped pay for such awful design.
Cities Lead a New Push to Reduce Urban Poverty
Recent reports have documented an alarming rise in poverty levels across America. With the federal government cutting funding for social programs serving the poor, cities are stepping into the void by creating anti-poverty centers.
From Peak Car to Peak Parking?
Fewer cars on the road, less driving, why not fewer parking spots? Cities like D.C., L.A., Denver, Philadelphia are responding by reducing or eliminating parking minimums, while Portland, which had already eliminated them, are bringing them back.
Westward Ho! Philly Fulfills its Manifest Destiny
With seven high-rise housing projects planned for the area between the western edge of Center City and the University City Science Center, Philadelphia's development axis is bending westward. The city's ed and med sectors are providing the impetus.
In Aftermath of Building Collapse, Philly Mulls Vacant Property Tax
The tragic deaths of six people in last week's downtown building collapse have prompted Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke to revive a bill he originally sponsored 13 years ago that would penalize owners of vacant properties.
Fabricating Philadelphia's Industrial Revival
A newly adopted master plan seeks to transform Philadelphia's underperforming industrial belt along the Lower Schuylkill River into a modern manufacturing hub.
Is Philadelphia Building Collapse the City's Fault?
On Wednesday, a four-story building that was being demolished in downtown Philadelphia collapsed on top of a neighboring store, killing one person and injuring several people. According to Inga Saffron, the city bears some responsibility.
Unlocking the Value of Legacy Assets
As cash strapped communities look to maximize their return on investment, a potent argument can be made for leveraging significant investments already made in a city's legacy assets to drive economic development.
Socially Conscious Developers Build a Bastion of Affordability in Philly
Inga Saffron reports on the redevelopment of a 19th-century brick mill into workforce housing in Philadelphia's South Kensington neighborhood; a project that proves virtue need not come at the expense of profit for one Philadelphia-based developer.
How to Win at the 'Planning Game'
Julia Vitullo-Martin reviews Alexander Garvin's new book, "The Planning Game," which examines four case studies for lessons on how shrewd investments in the public realm can revitalize a city.
Billboard Blocks Long-Sought Development in Philadelphia
Inga Saffron tells the frustrating tale of how the owner of a lucrative billboard can derail an apartment tower planned for Philly's Old City neighborhood that planners have enthusiastically endorsed.
Brutalist Icon in Philadelphia Under Threat
Philadelphia's award winning police headquarters, called "the Roundhouse", has received a belated 50th birthday present: the threat of demolition.
Urban Innovation Award Winners Announced
Providence, Rhode Island's vision for improving early childhood literacy has been selected as the winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayor's Challenge, a nationwide contest seeking innovative and replicable ideas for improving cities.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
