Changing Communities
Who’s filling the local news void in Philly’s suburbs?
As local newspapers Philly suburbs continue to shrink, dozens of scrappy, new media startups have risen to fill the gaps in coverage. What that means for your community.
Air Date: June 27, 2019
Listen 12:43Should Philly sell a neighborhood school to the charter company running it?
Belmont Charter wants to buy a building it already rents from the School District of Philadelphia. It would be an unprecedented move, if approved.
6 years ago
Listen 2:05Uncovering abuse in Pa.’s Amish, Mennonite communities
A recent investigation has revealed numerous cases of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania's Amish and Mennonite communities. Why has the abuse gone unchecked for so long?
Air Date: June 20, 2019
Listen 13:00Germantown High developer reveals plan for live-work-learn destination
Germantown High developer Jack Azran says that apartments with exposed brick walls, shared work spaces and a new school could fill the shuttered school by 2022
6 years ago
Redesigning an Old City green space for park use, not drug use
Community members see discarded syringes in the Old City walkway known as Commerce Street. With a $1.25 million redo, they hope to make it less secluded.
7 years ago
How a Philly neighborhood negotiated with a developer and won
A major new residential development planned with social impact in mind will soon break ground on fast-changing Washington Avenue.
7 years ago
New homes to replace one of South Philly’s pioneering Vietnamese shopping plazas
A residential development targeting young professionals is slated to replace a beloved Vietnamese bakery and other shops on the corner of Washington Avenue and 16th Street.
7 years ago
Why the ‘curse of Billy Penn’ still looms large for many Philadelphians
Where did the "curse" come from and why was it so emblematic of Philadelphia — its traditions, culture, and insecurities?
Air Date: May 27, 2019
Listen 14:20Wawa threatening to disrupt 7-Eleven’s convenience store dominance in Philly
The brand with the most convenience stores in the city is 7-Eleven. It’s been the Philly market leader for over a decade — but Wawa is closing in.
7 years ago
Why both sides of Philly’s supervised injection debate say it’s about life and death
A plan to create a supervised injection site in Philadelphia is faces fierce opposition from neighbors in Kensington, ground zero of the city's opioid epidemic.
Air Date: May 22, 2019
Listen 12:56Why the Philadelphia Free Library is putting community before books
Modernizing the Philadelphia Free Library system has meant more than offering computer labs and e-books.
Air Date: May 21, 2019
Listen 12:06Philly school closures found to make neighborhoods safer
Penn researchers found calls to police went down by “significant and substantive” margins after schools were shuttered.
7 years ago
Implosion of former Bethlehem Steel HQ highlights changing face of the Lehigh Valley
Bethlehem Steel built a skyscraper in the 1970s, just ahead of the industry's collapse. The tower sat mostly vacant for a decade, but the city found other ways to revitalize.
7 years ago
Listen 4:38A $1M pedestrian plaza is coming to Reading Terminal Market
Filbert Street outside Reading Terminal Market will become Philly’s first roadway designed to transform from vehicle pathway to pedestrian plaza, officials announced Thursday.
7 years ago
Why the Uber driver protest is the latest milestone in a gig economy reckoning
While Uber says drivers "are at the heart" of its service, the company admitted in a recent SEC filing that it only expects driver dissatisfaction to increase.
Air Date: May 14, 2019
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