Philadelphia

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

Updating and Improving Philadelphia's Downtown Plazas

Three public plazas in the center of Philadelphia are set to see much-needed makeovers, and soon.

February 14, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Broken Teeth of Philadelphia

David Gouverneur, urban designer and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at PennDesign, says mending the urban fabric of his city is a bit like acupressure: you put the pressure in certain key places to mend the whole.

February 6, 2011 - Next American City

Philadelphia Plans to Green 500 Acres by 2015

Today Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the ambitious 'Green 2015' plan to turn approximately 500 acres of city land into public green space over the next five years, with a focus on bringing parks to currently underserved communities.

December 7, 2010 - PlanPhilly

TIGER Funding Spurs Transit Plaza and Park in Philadelphia

Flush with federal grants, a new transit plaza and park is set to pop up in Philadelphia.

November 24, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Quantifying the Impact of Abandoned Properties in Philly

A new study suggests that Philadelphia's 40,000 vacant buildings reduce home values by as much as $8,000 and cost the city $20 million per year in maintenance.

November 17, 2010 - Philadelphia Daily News

Philly's Newest Bridge is Ped-and-Bike Friendly

Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron gives a thumbs up to the design of Philadelphia's new South Street Bridge, which includes a bike lane that connects to bike paths on each side.

November 7, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia Riverfront Plan Brings Transformation Closer to Reality

For more than 40 years, the city of Philadelphia has had its sights set on transforming the Delaware Riverfront, but few plans have taken hold and little transformation has actually occurred. A new master plan could finally make it happen.

October 21, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Amtrak Appoints Albrecht Engel To Head High Speed Rail Department

As Amtrak seeks to create and expand high-speed passenger train operations in the United States, the company on Thursday named Philadelphia rail expert Albrecht "Al" Engel to head its new high-speed rail department.

September 25, 2010 - philly.com

Historical Commission Give Permission to Demolish 19th c. Church

The Church of the Assumption, a mid-19th century building, is slated to be demolished. The Philadelphia Historical Commission is allowing the demolition after the non-profit that owns the site claimed it was financially incapable of the repairs.

September 13, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Troubled Times for Philadelphia's Underfunded Parks

With one of Philadelphia's best-supported public parks in danger of losing the private funding that keeps it maintained, Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron looks at the sad state of the city's parks.

May 27, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Creative Funding for Pop-Up Park

In Philadelphia, a recent planning school graduate and his friends are attempting to create a pop-up park in East Passyunk using social media and contest winnings as funding tools.

May 24, 2010 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Quality Public Space vs. Lack of Funds

The group that maintains Philadelphia's famed Rittenhouse Square has put a lot of maintenance work into making it a lovely space, but is faced with mounting expenses and needs new ways to pay for them.

May 12, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Cities Look to Crack Down on Flash Mobs

After a series of recent "flash mobs" of hundreds of young people spontaneously gathering in downtown Philadelphia, city officials are looking at ways of reducing the incidents and the potentially dangerous conditions they create.

March 30, 2010 - The New York Times

Big Box Casino On Its Way To Philadelphia

The new casino rising along Philadelphia's Delaware River is likely to be little more than a drab Big Box with gambling inside, according to this review from Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron.

March 23, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Waterfront Rail Plans Advance in Philadelphia

Plans to construct a waterfront rail line in Philadelphia are moving forward, with the recent approval of a $6.5 million contract to perform environmental reviews.

March 19, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Remixing Architecture, Without Breaking the Rules

Architecture critic Inga Saffron takes a look at what she thinks is "the most innovative take on the traditional rowhouse that Philadelphia has seen in years." Saffron remarks on how the building obeys the rules and innovates at the same time.

March 16, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Learning From Philadelphia's Transit System Improvements

The city of Toronto's public transit system has been plagued by dysfunctional service and rider complaints. Officials are looking to Philadelphia for lessons on improving their troubled system.

March 8, 2010 - The Toronto Star

Biking The TIGER

Bicycling and walking advocates should also be happy about the new TIGER grants - almost half of the funded projects included funding for bike and ped infrastructure.

February 19, 2010 - Sierra Club Compass blog

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.