Changing Communities

Philadelphia is changing rapidly. How can we design smarter, more equitably, and more beautifully to improve the quality of life of our city’s residents?

PlanPhilly’s look back at 2019 focuses on changes in renter’s rights, preservation policy, and exclusionary planning.

Regulars remember Everybody Hits as an “only in Philadelphia” kind of space.

Thomas Devaney's new book of poems charts his complicated relationship with his home city of Philadelphia. Then, 1812 Productions, a local political satire group.

Just north of Fishtown and Northern Liberties is Norris Square, a proud Puerto Rican community facing an uncertain future as gentrification takes hold.

Alterra wants to build hundreds of apartments and create new commercial spaces on one of the last major underdeveloped parcels in Passyunk Square.

A bill expected to pass City Council aims to stem demolitions of historic buildings.

Philly is in the middle of a construction boom, and neighbors are stepping up to prevent accidents. Why does the city need their help?

Philadelphia is creating its first-ever plan for urban agriculture. The goal: to protect existing community gardens and encourage farming use on vacant city lots.

The demise of Hoa Binh Plaza isn’t the only story of Asian businesses in gentrifying areas, leaders in Philly’s growing Asian community say.

Spanglish isn't the only dialect that has popped up from contact between two languages.

Indian restaurants have been popping up along truck stops along major shipping routes in the United States, offering comfort foods to a new wave of drivers.

Three months after a police standoff left homes riddled with bullet holes in Philly, the city fixed them for free — an unprecedented move in a city wracked by gun violence.

Philadelphia’s real-world Concrete Cowboys are moving to a home on the edge of Bartram’s Garden, along a new Schuylkill River trail.

Historic elections in 3 of Philadelphia’s 4 collar counties led to a Democratic takeover, driven by demographic shifts and disaffection with the president.