Philadelphia

A Dirty Reputation in 'Filthadelphia'

Philadelphia has long been derided for its dirty and filthy streets. This reputation has turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

August 18, 2011 - The Philadelphia Daily News

Dilapidated Properties and Delinquent Taxes Plague Philadelphia

Delinquent properties are scattered throughout Philadelphia, and they collectively owe nearly $500 million in taxes. This is a major problem for the city, and new legislation is hoping to tackle it.

August 17, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philidelphia Comprehensive Plan Accused of Spreading Gentrification

Community leaders argue that the recently approved Philadelphia comprehensive plan does more for developers than the working class in this op-ed.

August 16, 2011 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Tries to Crack Down on Youth Mobs

In the face of recent violence committed by roaming groups of teenagers, officials in Philadelphia are imposing stricter curfews for youth.

August 12, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia's Stormwater Solution

Philadelphia is embarking on a $2 billion, 25-year project to improve the way it absorbs and processes stormwater.

August 11, 2011 - This Big City

Parking Becomes Park in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is opening its first "parklet" -- a small public park space built on street parking spaces.

August 4, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Redesign Near Train Station to Create New Gateway in Philadelphia

Plans are emerging to revamp the public space surrounding Philadelphia's 30th Street train station to create a more vibrant way to enter the city.

July 19, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Government Control Vs. Individual Responsibility

Climate Central intern Ruthie Nachmany writes how one conference on energy envisions individuals taking a role in being energy efficient, while another conference prefers cities creating systems that can lead to energy efficiency.

July 13, 2011 - Climate Central

Squeezing Juice from Brownfields

Communities across the country are trying to reuse contaminated brownfields as sites for the production of clean energy.

July 3, 2011 - Yale Environment 360

The Pied Piper of Parks

That's how Inga Saffron describes New York's High Line, the unique park built into unused infrastructure that has cities clamoring for their own version. Philadelphia might get one too, on the Reading Viaduct.

June 24, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

A Big Plan in Many Small Parts

Philadelphia is embarking on a long-term planning effort -- one in a string of many efforts over the past few decades. But this effort is different, compiling many small-scale plans for the city's future.

June 23, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

High Rises: One Size That Doesn't Fit All

Two big names are calling for more high rise development and less of the historic preservation efforts that have often prevented it in dense urban areas. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Inga Saffron says they're wrong.

June 11, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Adopts First Comprehensive Plan in 50 Years

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission adopted the Citywide Vision portion of a new comprehensive plan—the first such venture in five decades

June 9, 2011 - PlanPhilly.com

Want an Empty Philadelphia Building?

The Philadelphia Housing Authority owns over 3,000 homes and would like to get rid of 1/3rd of them.

June 8, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Parks Blossom in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is seeing a surge in new parks, as new public-realm projects are either opening or moving closer towards development.

June 2, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Trying To Reclaim and Reuse Abandoned Land in Philadelphia

Community groups in Philadelphia are trying to remake blighted vacant properties into community gardens and neighborhood amenities.

May 13, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Leads the Largest Cities in America for Bicycle Mode Share

A new report from The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia shows that Philadelphia's bicycle mode share is more than double that of Chicago's (the big city with the second-greatest share).

May 11, 2011 - philly.com

Crowdsourcing Street Trees

A new online tool uses the power of crowdsourcing to "map, inventory, and preserve the Philadelphia urban forest."

April 29, 2011 - Azavea

Debating Skateboarding and Urban Space

Philadelphia may lose its world-famous skateboarding landmark with the renovation of its LOVE Park plaza, flaring a decade-old debate that has made international headlines.

March 6, 2011 - The Philadelphia Daily News

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.