Urban Planning
News on cities, suburbs, and how we design the places we live
SEPTA’s year in review — from its doomsday budget and train fires to equipment failures and World Cup prep
“Years of underinvestment revealed themselves” in 2025, SEPTA wrote in a social media post. Here’s a look back at the year that was.
Twice-weekly trash collection comes to North Philly in January. Here’s what to know
Among the neighborhoods included: Tioga, Strawberry Mansion, Brewerytown, Spring Garden and Fishtown.
2 weeks ago
Listen 0:54
SEPTA still unsure about when Center City trolley tunnel will reopen after damage to overhead wires
The wires that power the trolleys were damaged during an attempt to change a key piece of equipment on the trolley power poles.
3 weeks ago
La auditoría es critica acerca de cómo los miembros de la junta del Puerto de Wilmington cumplieron con las leyes de reuniones abiertas y la transparencia pública.
3 weeks ago
Camden County builds $22 million supportive housing complex with 60 units for unsheltered residents
The McKernan Supportive Housing Community in Blackwood is slated to open by summer 2026.
3 weeks ago
Listen 1:35
The mayor strongly opposed prioritizing the city's lowest-income households. Now, the H.O.M.E. initiative is set to add millions for repairs and preservation efforts.
4 weeks ago
Listen 1:06
South Philly’s Bellwether District has its first tenant. Here’s what to know about DrinkPAK
The canned drink manufacturer plans to create more than 170 long-term jobs at the former PES refinery site.
4 weeks ago
Listen 1:02
Billy Penn
SEPTA, union reach contract agreement after Shapiro intervention
SEPTA has reached a tentative two-year contract agreement with Transportation Workers Union Local 234 following a weekend intervention by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
4 weeks ago
In the event of a strike, students will not be marked late due to “SEPTA-related travel challenges,” Superintendent Watlington said Sunday.
4 weeks ago
The audit is critical of how the Port of Wilmington board members complied with open meeting laws and public transparency.
1 month ago
Listen 0:50
Gehry helped the museum with its "Core Project," a major renovation project that was four years in the making.
1 month ago
Wonderland Pier hotel? Ocean City Council opens door to large-scale redevelopment
Business leaders warn of more boardwalk store closures should redevelopment efforts stall, but some residents fear losing the site’s family-friendly identity.
1 month ago
Philadelphia has an abandoned vehicle problem. Here’s how you can get deserted cars off your block
For the past four years, the city has received an average of 37,000 abandoned car complaints annually.
1 month ago
With sewers, streets and skyscrapers, modern cities are complex systems, and it takes a huge amount of design, planning, and maintenance to keep them moving. From transportation news on SEPTA and the PPA to real estate reporting on the 10-year tax abatement and neighborhood gentrification, WHYY and PlanPhilly cover the people, organizations, and policies that affect city life in Philadelphia and across the Delaware Valley.