Catch PlanPhilly reporter Patrick Kerkstra on Radio Times Tuesday

Last week’s fire at the former Bucks Hosiery factory in Kensington killed two firefighters and cast a spotlight on a longterm problem confronting Philadelphia: the economic opportunities, challenges and physical dangers presented by its many old and abandoned and underutilized buildings. What does the fatal warehouse fire mean for the city’s years-long efforts to address its vacant-property inventory? How does it complicate legislative efforts to address the problem at the city and state level, and will/can government act fast enough to prevent another tragedy? Joining Marty Moss-Coane in studio are RICHARD NEGRIN, the city of Philadelphia’s Managing Director; PATRICK KERKSTRA, a freelance reporter who has been covering Philadelphia’s vacant land dilemma for PlanPhilly and The Philadelphia Inquirer; and CHRISTOPHER SAWYER, an East Kensington neighborhood and zoning activist.

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