Philadelphia

Getting the Transportation Glue Back in Philly's Waterfront

Transportation has been called the glue that hold cities together. This oped argues that Philadelphia's waterfront is sorely missing that glue.

January 29, 2010 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Population Inches Up in Philadelphia

For the first time in 59 years, the population of Philadelphia increased in 2008, according to revised figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

December 11, 2009 - Plan Philly

Transit in Philly Rides Again... For Now

Commuters and workers alike are grateful the SEPTA strike is over, but fare hikes of an undisclosed amount are expected for the next year.

November 11, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Gaming Officials Monkeying With Land Use

In Philadelphia, the Gaming Control Board is made up of 10 men, 9 of which don't live in the city. A recent decision by the board will destroy two planned developments that would have improve Philly's character, says arch. critic Inga Saffron.

September 14, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Urban Farming Made Profitable

An online publisher set out to show that urban farming could be profitable. In her fourth year, she brought in $68k from her half-acre plot in Philadelphia.

August 25, 2009 - Governing Magazine

A Big City Without A Newspaper

As bankruptcy hearings for two newspapers in Philadelphia unfold, this piece looks at the state of newspapers in cities and wonders what will happen when a big American city loses its newspaper.

August 11, 2009 - The New York Times

Feds Stimulate Crime-Ridden and Poor Cities

Crime numbers and struggling city budgets have caused the Justice department to issue $1 billion in federal stimulus funds to 1,046 communities to beef up their police forces.

August 3, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

What Color is Your Cultural District?

South Broad Street in downtown Philadelphia looks a bit blue at times. But stick around for a few minutes and its complexion changes.

July 31, 2009 - New Urban News

The Future of Francisville

The Philadelphia neighborhood of Francisville is about to get an urban makeover, but two competing visions have very different ideas of what that means.

July 28, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Public Space Starting Small On Philadelphia's Waterfront

A competition to redesign Philadelphia's Pier 11 represents a concentrated -- and viable -- effort to create quality public space along the city's waterfront, according to Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron.

June 28, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Is River Setback "An Illegal Taking"?

Philadelphia's City Council has approved two new measures that would preserve historic buildings along the Delaware River and require 100 ft. green setbacks. Some developers are protesting the ruling, saying it amounts to an illegal taking.

June 22, 2009 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Parkour Enthusiasts Rediscover The American City

While urbanists have long used the built environment as their playground, the French sport of parkour is connecting residents of America's cities to their surroundings in a new, if not extreme manner.

June 18, 2009 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Cities Struggling, But Not Raising Taxes

Falling tax revenues are a major element of the current economic woes facing many American cities. A recent study by the Pew Charitable Trust finds that few are increasing taxes in order to close budget gaps.

May 23, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Piazza A Score For Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Enquirer's Inga Saffron looks at the city's newest public plaza and finds much to like -- and much for other cities to learn from.

May 19, 2009 - The Philadelphia Enquirer

TOD Slowly Catching on in Philadelphia

Transit oriented development is lacking near many of Philadelphia's transit stops, but new projects are bringing the city up to speed.

May 3, 2009 - The Philadelphia Daily News

Doing the Waterfront Right

Philadelphia's SugerHouse waterfront development could learn a thing or two from San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood, according to this piece.

April 24, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

No Ground-Floor Garages ... Except This One

Despite advocating for an end to ground-floor garages, a neighborhood group in Philadelphia is now asking for an exemption to the rule it wrote against them.

March 31, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

City Asks Citizens Where Cuts Should Fall

With severe budget shortfalls, Philadelphia has turned to its citizens to see where the city should make cuts and what citizens are willing to pay to save.

March 5, 2009 - Reuters

Another Modernist Plaza Reimagined

Philadelphia's Dilworth Plaza is another modernist civic construction that didn't live up to the architect's utopian ideals. A new design aims to create a more park-like atmosphere and improve transit access.

March 3, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Friday Blunder: NY Skyline on Philly Transit Passes

A special transit pass meant to promote the annual Philadelphia Beer Week accidentally used the Manhattan skyline in the background.

February 13, 2009 - USA Today

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

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