November 28: Philly cabs unite | Overbuilds | Jobs, growth, breaks

Three Philly cab companies have joined forces to compete with Uber and Lyft, the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Alison Burdo reports. The companies’ strategic partnership will combine their existing fleets of nearly 1,100 cabs and plan to put out “a revamped smartphone app, upgraded technology in cars and…interiors, as well as shared services for drivers.”

Boom, overbuilds, and new territory: many Philadelphia developments are building on top of existing structures, Curbed Philly’s Melissa Romero writes. Romero highlights a few projects under construction and goes into why overbuilds are beneficial for both developers and historic preservationists.

On jobs, investment, and corporate tax breaks: La Columbe founder Todd Carmichael writes that the GOP’s proposed tax reform isn’t “going to do a thing for the middle class, or create a single job.” Carmichael emphasizes that La Columbe’s model of “profitable business that values the people at its core and the communities where we do business” has resulted in the company’s growth in retail, manufacturing, mass distribution, and national fame.

Riding SEPTA while elderly: WURD Radio’s Charles D. Ellison calls for policy changes to serve the elderly and disabled populations. Ellison points out that Philadelphia has the fourth-highest statewide senior population in America and 16 percent of SEPTA riders are senior citizens.

On WHYY’s Radio Times Monday, Marty Moss-Coane spoke with Joseph B. Elliot, Nathaniel Popkin, and Peter Woodall on their new book Philadelphia: Finding the Hidden City. Listen to the full 32-minute interview here.

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