PlanPhilly Archive
As summer approaches, Bartram’s Mile Trail still closed more than a year after chemical spill
Bartram’s Garden says it’s waiting for a green light from the city to reopen the trail. The city says the decision lies with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
10 months ago
Listen 1:15Philadelphia residents are tracking air quality and pollution from their rowhouses in real time
With the fate of EPA regulations uncertain, advocates say local environmental protection efforts, like a community air monitoring network, are increasingly important.
11 months ago
Listen 3:15Philly’s zoning board may gain leverage to hold private developers more accountable
A bill moving through City Council would require developers to legally commit to creating affordable housing they’ve promised the community.
11 months ago
Listen 1:11Looming SEPTA cuts could increase climate pollution in the Philly area
An analysis by WHYY News shows the increased traffic could raise Philly’s transportation sector carbon emissions by around 4%.
11 months ago
Listen 1:14SEPTA board pressed for answers over proposed cuts: ‘Are people just supposed to walk?’
Advocates rallied to support state subsidies for SEPTA and worry about public transportation for the most vulnerable riders, like students, seniors and disabled passengers.
11 months ago
Listen 0:54Some popular SEPTA bus routes may disappear before others with low ridership. Here’s why
SEPTA is under pressure to save as much money as possible, but its service-cut strategy did not eliminate all routes with low ridership and high cost per passenger.
11 months ago
Listen 1:05Utilities could also raise rates on other customers to help cover the cost of the lost federal funds.
11 months ago
Listen 1:29Philly hopes to slow down traffic on Lincoln Drive by adding speed slots
The city’s Streets Department has started installing the vertical deflection devices as part of a pilot project designed to make the state road safer.
11 months ago
Listen 1:19Philly ballot measure would send more dollars to city fund for affordable housing
Supporters say the measure closes a loophole created by an incentive program designed to create more affordable housing in the city.
11 months ago
Listen 1:17The 1985 bombing claimed the lives of 11 people, including five children, and destroyed dozens of homes in the Cobbs Creek section of West Philadelphia.
11 months ago
Listen 6:45The mayor wants Council to adopt her Housing Opportunities Made Easy initiative in tandem with the city’s next budget. Lawmakers will put their $.02 in before that happens.
11 months ago
No free A/C units through LIHEAP in Pennsylvania this summer
The program, funded primarily with COVID relief money, provided free air conditioning units and fans the last three summers. It saw overwhelming demand.
11 months ago
Listen 1:04Built in the 1990s, Philadelphia’s Kings Highway Apartments comprises 27 buildings along Frankford Avenue. Odin Properties bought and renovated them last year.
11 months ago
Listen 1:08Philly’s commuter foot traffic outpaced most peer cities’ downtowns in 2024
The majority of workers who commute into the urban core have returned since the COVID-19 pandemic began five years ago, according to the annual State of Center City report.
11 months ago
Listen 0:50More than 1.2 million international visitors traveled to Philadelphia last year, but far fewer tourists are expected to visit in 2025.
11 months ago
Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.













