Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Adaptive Reuse Booming in Pittsburgh

The city is seeing rapid growth in residential development in its downtown core, signaling a shift to accommodate a reduced need for office space and a renewed interest in mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods.

October 11, 2022 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Man on a scaffold repairs a stucco wall.

Pennsylvania Law Ties Building Repair Loans to Affordability

A new state program provides forgivable loans for residential repairs and retrofits to landlords who don’t raise rents by more than 3 percent.

October 10, 2022 - Next City

Covered outdoor dining patio on street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Opinion: Support Citizen-Led Public Space Projects

A public space advocate outlines how Philadelphia’s city leaders could support the parklets, plazas, and other public space conversions that proliferated during the pandemic.

September 26, 2022 - WHYY

A photo of the former Heinz factory in Pennsylvania, renovated as condominiums and apartments.

Zoning Changes, Federal Funds Enable Adaptive Reuse Program in Pittsburgh

Funding and zoning changes are likely necessary but insufficient on their own, to borrow a phrase from Nolan Gray. Pittsburgh hopes to deploy both to spur adaptive reuse in the city.

September 26, 2022 - Trib Live

A family exits from a rowhouse. Picture is identifiably from the 1980s based on the clothing fashion of the family.

Is it a Rowhouse, or a Rowhome?

Philadelphia has long been acknowledged as the capital of rowhouses in the United States. It’s becoming more common for those rowhouses to be referred to as rowhomes.

September 25, 2022 - BillyPenn

A group of Latino dancers and musicians perform in front of the Love sculpture in Philadelphia.

New Film, Set on a Philly Bus, Celebrates the Magic of the Latino Community

The Latino community gathers on a bus, and joy ensues, in the new short film "La Guagua 47."

September 15, 2022 - WHYY

Electric Cars

Will California's EV Rule Spread to Other States?

Last month California banned the sale of new light duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. Over a dozen other states have the ability to adopt the same rule, but will they? The Associated Press investigates nine of them.

September 7, 2022 - The Associated Press

Two-story apartment building behind black iron fence in Pacoima, California

More Research Needed to Understand the Rental Market

Large institutional investors are changing the realities of the U.S. rental housing market, but a lack of information makes it hard for cities to respond.

September 7, 2022 - Urban Institute

Philadelphia SEPTA Station

Philadelphia Plans for a Transit Revolution

Three coordinated, ambitious, simultaneous planning initiatives are underway at SEPTA, the regional transportation authority for Greater Philadelphia.

September 1, 2022 - TransitCenter

Bus stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with blue bus and passengers boarding

Pittsburgh Launches Guaranteed Basic Mobility Pilot

The program aims to improve access to jobs and economic opportunities for some of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.

August 25, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

View from behind three traffic cameras at night on busy freeway

Philadelphia Deems Speed Camera Project a Success

City officials say an automated traffic enforcement pilot program has reduced speeding and crashes along the corridor where cameras were installed.

August 18, 2022 - ABC 6

Worker caulking cracks in a home window

Sealing the Cracks in Weatherization and Home Repair

Deferred home maintenance can lead to serious structural, safety, and health issues. A new program in Pennsylvania aims to fill the gaps in home repair and weatherization programs.

August 12, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Victorian Townhomes

Philadelphia Wants To Address Racial Bias in Home Appraisals

The city convened a task force to assess the state of appraisal bias and recommend ways to improve equity in real estate appraisal.

August 2, 2022 - WHYY

Bus stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with blue bus and passengers boarding

Pittsburgh Regional Transit Moves To Implement Long-Range Plan

After four years of delays, the agency is ready to implement a five-year plan setting the foundation for its long-term goals to improve and expand service.

July 27, 2022 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh’s Downtown Office Buildings Could Soon Become Housing

The city is proposing a $2.1 million boost to state and county efforts aimed at converting office buildings to affordable workforce housing.

July 11, 2022 - Pittsburgh Magazine

Advisory bike lane in The Netherlands with bike rider and cars in center lane

Pittsburgh Debuts ‘Advisory’ Bike Lane

The design uses a central traffic lane and adjacent two-way bike lanes to prioritize people on bikes on a popular cycling route.

June 23, 2022 - CBS Pittsburgh

Looking down from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway runs vertically through the skyline to the Washington Monument by Rudolf Siemering.

Philadelphia Launches Plan To Redesign Ben Franklin Parkway

The city wants to make the car-centric parkway more accessible and people-friendly.

June 16, 2022 - WHYY

Broadway Hotel, four-story single-room occupancy hotel in Portland, Oregon

The Return of Rooming Houses

Popular in the early 20th century, the rooming house fell out of favor, with the type now banned in many cities. With no end to the housing crisis in sight, cities are rethinking their regulation of this affordable housing option.

June 14, 2022 - Governing

Google Maps street view of Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia

Philadelphia Seeks Federal Funding to Improve One of its Deadliest Streets

Local officials hope to use federal infrastructure funding to make safety improvements on Roosevelt Boulevard, where more than a tenth of the city’s traffic deaths happen.

June 5, 2022 - Insurance Journal

View of Washington Avenue, Phialdelphia

Washington Avenue Road Diet Less Likely

After one city councilmember refused to advocate for changing parking rules in his district, Philadelphia’s Washington Avenue could end up with two different safety configurations.

May 31, 2022 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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.