Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Wrestling With New LED Billboards

A six-month moratorium on new billboards has been passed by the Pittsburgh City Council as it struggles to formulate a policy for brightly lit LED signs.

April 2, 2008 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Philly's Planning Process Revamp Moving Ahead Slowly

With a growing consensus for change, the challenge for the Philadelphia's leaders now is figuring out how to actually fix the city's planning and zoning system.

April 1, 2008 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Land Acquired for Flight 93 Memorial

The families of victims of the hijacked September 11 Flight 93 have secured more than 900 acres of land in Pennsylvania for a permanent memorial.

March 20, 2008 - The New York Times

Philadelphia Affordable Housing Organization Alleges HUD Vendetta

Officials in D.C. have sought to punish Philadelphia's Housing Director for not selling a vacant property to a friend of the HUD Secretary. The city was then found in violation of rules, and could now lose $50 million in housing funds.

March 15, 2008 - The Washington Post

'Skyscraper Policy' Called For in Philadelphia

Big developments are on the slate in Philadelphia, and some argue that the city needs to develop a skyscraper policy to control the city's changing face.

February 26, 2008 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Video: Amtrak Ridership Soars

This CBS News video interviews passengers, as they are working, aboard Amtrak's Acela between NYC and Washington DC. New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg who has proposed legislation, and Amtrak CEO Alexander Kummant are also interviewed.

February 14, 2008 - CBS News

Neighbors Nix Proposed Traditional Neighborhood Development

Despite County and municipal comprehensive plans that advocate for higher density new development in targeted growth areas, neighbors have strongly opposed the creation of a zoning amendment that would allow a development of 3,000 homes on 300 acres.

January 28, 2008 - Lancaster (PA) Sunday News

Activist Building Support For Philadelphia Bike-Sharing Program

A community activist in Philadelphia is rallying support to pressure the city to consider a bike-sharing program similar to the Paris Velib system.

January 20, 2008 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Revival Through the Arts

As the population continues to drop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, many in the city are looking to the arts as a way to revive and rebuild the community.

January 6, 2008 - The Next American City

Remembering An Empty Field

At the World Trade Center and Pentagon, plans are underway for elaborate memorials to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. But what of the non-descript field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where another hijacked flight crashed that day?

January 3, 2008 - The Next American City

Two Cities Battle To Host Soccer Team, But Neither Is Prepared

St. Louis and Philadelphia are entering the final weeks of competition to become the host of a new Major League Soccer expansion team. One city has stadium plans, the other has investors. Neither has both.

January 1, 2008 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Pennsylvania Toll Road Plan Hits Wall

Plans to convert a 311-mile section of Pennsylvania's Interstate 80 have been dealt a severe setback by the federal government, which recently returned the state's application.

December 17, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Inclusionary Housing Bill Gets Approval In Philadelphia

The Philadelphia city council has approved an inclusionary housing bill requiring developers to include a certain percentage of affordable housing in all projects of 20 units or more.

December 16, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

After City Inaction, Philadelphia Casino Construction Approved By Court

Calling out the Philadelphia City Council for "deliberate inaction" on a casino developer's zoning requests, the state Supreme Court has overstepped the city authority to approve the casino's construction.

December 5, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Car Sharing Service Sets Its Sights High

A look at the past and future of the car sharing service PhillyCarShare as they exceed 35,000 members and look towards the next 100,000.

December 3, 2007 - Philadelphia Magazine

Bringing Back Planning In Philadelphia

With the city undertaking several major planning efforts -- including a complete revision of its zoning code -- Philadelphia is entering a new shining era of city planning. But there's still more work to be done, argues a recent editorial.

November 28, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Pittsburgh Set To Allow Density Bonuses For Green Buildings

The Pittsburgh City Council is unanimously backing legislation to allow LEED-certified buildings to be taller and bigger than zoning ordinances would normally allow.

November 19, 2007 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Plan For The Community, Not Developers

Philadelphia's new waterfront plan should lead the charge to take back the planning process from the city's real estate interests, argues one citizen activist.

November 13, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

City Facilities Crumbling In Philadelphia

Philadelphia's city facilities are in disrepair, and a recently released report outlines the city prisons, buildings, and ventilation systems that would require millions of city dollars to repair -- money that the city doesn't have.

November 2, 2007 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

The People's Vision For Philadelphia's Waterfront

Participatory planning in Philadelphia creates a new vision for the city's Delaware River waterfront.

October 29, 2007 - 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.