Pennsylvania

Smoke Signals

Could smoke rising from a barbeque pit be considered a sign, and thus be controlled under sign regulations? Zoning officials in East Berlin, PA say yes.

September 29, 2009 - The Evening Sun (Hanover

In Pittsburgh, The Spotlight's On

As it prepares to host world leaders for the G-20 summit, Pittsburgh is hoping to show to the world that it's no longer a dying city.

September 24, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

A Museum For A Highway?

The Lincoln Highway was the first road to reach from coast to coast. A Pennsylvania group is building a museum to celebrate this stretch of asphalt. Designs for the museum have just been released.

September 23, 2009 - Architectural Record

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

The Highs and Lows of The Pittsburgh Marathon

The Pittsburgh Marathon was canceled for five years due to budget constraints, but a recent study shows that the 2009 race generated over $22 million in spending.

September 12, 2009 - PopCity Magazine

Pittsburgh Preps for its Debut on the World Stage

Why the decision to host the next G-20 summit in Steel City is a good one.

September 8, 2009 - Forbes.com

Restaurants Are Right-Sizing

In Philadelphia, a number of palatial restaurants have closed due to the bad economy. In their place, several more intimate, neighborhood places have popped up.

August 31, 2009 - Philadelphia Inquirer

iBurgh Connects Pittsburghers With Services

The City of Pittsburgh, PA yesterday released an iPhone app that allows you to take pictures of potholes and send a complaint directly to the city.

August 18, 2009 - KDKA2

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

Real-Time Arrival Data Coming to Philadelphia Bus Riders

Philadelphia's public transit system is preparing to launch a new service that makes bus and train arrival times available to riders' handheld devices.

August 7, 2009 - Plan Philly

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

City Pride Fail

A famous beacon atop a building in downtown Pittsburgh has been broadcasting the city's name in Morse code since 1929. The only problem is they spelled it wrong.

July 19, 2009 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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

Inspection in Philly After D.C. Crash

SEPTA of Philadelphia will inspect train-control signals made by the same company that made the signals on the Metro in D.C, where a possible signal malfunction is under investigation in the recent train crash.

June 26, 2009 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Under Surveillance

The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will soon be one of the most watched cities in the world, with plans for 165 closed circuit cameras monitoring public spaces.

June 23, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

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

Fresh in Philly

Philadelphians (and the Obama administration) sing the praises of the city's Fresh Food Financing Initiative, which works to bring healthy produce and groceries to underserved locations.

June 18, 2009 - Philadelphia Daily News

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

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.