Changing Communities
Coming home to West Philadelphia without survivor’s guilt
Writer Kyle V. Hiller left West Philadelphia, where he was raised, to attend college. His 2020 return was a homecoming he never could have anticipated.
3 years ago
Philly Council passes resolution to give itself more power over development
City Council unanimously passed the measure to create a council-led Zoning Code Review Commission to help revise the regulations that govern land use.
3 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.
3 years ago
COVID didn’t stop Philly’s construction boom, but signs point to slowdown in 2021
Experts who monitor development trends say the future for dense cities like Philadelphia remains something of a question mark heading into 2021.
3 years ago
The new regulations limit building height and ban some exterior building materials as well as roof decks.
3 years ago
“The American Dream” used to mean a single family home and two car garage. But lifestyles, family units, and income levels have changed, and so should the definition of home.
Air Date: November 19, 2020
Listen 49:4433 affordable rental homes named for Point Breeze hero Mamie Nichols break ground
Built on formerly vacant city lots, the housing will be earmarked for families earning less than $50,000 and veterans.
3 years ago
Why Frankford residents supported Rite Aid’s plea to demolish a neighborhood icon
The Historical Commission unanimously approved Rite Aid’s plan to demolish the midcentury modern Penn Fruit landmark.
3 years ago
Trump is driving Philly’s Black immigrants to vote like never before
Trump called Haiti and African nations ‘shithole countries’ and made immigrants a public enemy. Philadelphia’s Black immigrants say they are motivated to vote him out.
3 years ago
Philadelphia surpasses 2019’s homicide total with nearly three months left in 2020
Meanwhile, the number shooting victims is up 47% over 2019 with police reporting more than 1,600 people injured by gunfire so far this year.
4 years ago
Street food: Cities turn parking spaces into dining spots and no one seems to mind
Parking is usually a hot-button issue in crowded cities. But restaurants are taking over spaces once reserved for cars, and to the surprise of owners, few are complaining.
4 years ago
How one of Philly’s richest neighborhoods is gaming the system
Society Hill’s proposed zoning overlay will exclude people and restrict development based on misrepresentation of history, a preservationist writes.
4 years ago
The BLM movement found support in red, rural Pa. What will it mean for voting?
Protests happened across rural Pa., including Franklin County — elevating political fault lines and fractured alliances that have been lying beneath the surface.
4 years ago
Listen 5:06Road diet! Washington Ave. slims down from 5 lanes to 3
The South Philly road is one of the city’s most dangerous. Many neighbors see the change as positive though some challenge the virtual engagement done.
4 years ago
Camden teens worked to boost census turnout, but say they got shortchanged
For some of the Camden census workers, the job was at best marred by misunderstandings and at worst, a story of broken promises.
4 years ago