Urban Planning
Environmental justice clash in Upper Darby brings withdrawal of waste-facility application
The waste facility would have been in a predominantly Black area where the township converges with other towns. They gave the plan a cold reception.
5 years ago
Developer, nonprofit petition to take over abandoned Reading Viaduct station
Arts & Crafts Holdings and Scioli Turco filed for conservatorship under a Pennsylvania law that allows parties to petition for control of an abandoned property.
5 years ago
The rise of the ‘overlay’: How an obscure zoning tool is shaping Philly’s future (again)
In a year when many land use matters were disrupted by the pandemic, City Council created six new neighborhood overlays aimed at shaping development.
5 years ago
Listen 1:44North Philly intersection reimagined as shady, green gathering space in new plan
A lawn is among the amenities included in the city’s proposed redesign of the intersection of Broad, Erie, and Germantown. The design aims to improve safety and add green.
5 years ago
Still filled: Schuylkill River dredging project near Boathouse Row stalls
A “contractual impasse” has brought the multimillion-dollar effort to a halt — with less than 5% of the dredging complete.
5 years ago
After a surge in crashes, safety fixes are coming to 34th St. in Mantua
Mantua residents are working with city transportation planners to improve safety on a dangerous corridor. Changes are expected to come later this year.
5 years ago
Biden Transportation nominee is a friend to Philly bicyclists, advocates say
Biden’s nominee, former NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg came to Philly last year to keynote the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s Vision Zero conference.
5 years ago
How Black Philadelphians lived MLK’s fight for ‘open housing’
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought de-facto segregation and substandard housing. Black Philadelphians knew the struggle all too well. They still do.
5 years ago
Philly growers spoke out. The result is an ‘anti-racist lens’ for city’s first agricultural plan
During 2020’s racial reckoning, Black gardeners and white urban designers working on a city plan realized they needed to confront harmful racial dynamics.
5 years ago
SEPTA expects to avoid layoffs, service cuts for now as D.C. promises $252M in COVID relief
With the latest round of federal aid, the authority ought to be able to keep things together into 2022, a spokesperson said.
5 years ago
South Philly lots named in FBI case against Kenyatta Johnson targeted for land trust
City-owned lots at the center of a soured redevelopment deal that ended with federal corruption charges are back on the market — with an unexpected twist.
5 years ago
Philly’s first raised bike lane with a concrete buffer is nearly complete
The bikeway runs along the middle of North American Street, connecting Northern Liberties to Fairhill.
5 years ago
How to shape Philly development in 2021
If you want a voice in community development, find avenues to engage beyond the comment threads, writes Camille Boggan.
5 years ago
Isaiah Zagar’s Painted Bride mosaic could survive in new plan for Old City site
The latest plans to redevelop the Old City Painted Bride HQ include the iconic tilework, marking a departure from past plans to tear down the mosaic.
5 years ago
Demolition in Philly dropped by half in 2020 — Is that a good thing?
The finding cheers preservationists but forecasts a possible slowdown in development in the city heading in 2021.
5 years ago













