Pennsylvania

What Makes For a 'Day 1 City'?
Can we use Jeff Bezos's distinction between "Day 1" and "Day 2" companies to compare cities? If so, Pittsburgh may be a prime example of the former.

Electronic Vehicle Permit Moratorium in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney neither signed nor vetoed the anti-electric car bill allowing it to become law, but is symbolically not giving it his approval.

Philadelphia's Freeway Cap Park Almost Fully Funded, Ready to Start Planning
March was a momentous month for the Central Access Philadelphia (CAP) project. The project would build cap over I-95 at Penn's Landing, among other improvements.

SEPTA Ready to Roll Out Major Capital Investments
Budgets reflect priorities, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will be prioritizing capital investments in the 2018 fiscal year.

Pittsburgh Moves Forward on Resilience
Building on support from the Rockefeller Foundation, Pittsburgh has released a framework for its future resilience efforts. Concrete details are still to come.

Public Transit Must Evolve to Survive
Ride hailing apps have changed the way people travel. Though public transit may lose ridership to these services, transit should also learn from technological advancements and use those insights to improve transit service.

Where Millennials Are Entering the Homebuying Market
LendingTree ranks the most popular cities for Millennial homebuyers.

Trump Budget's Devastating Effect on the EPA and Two of America's Greatest Water Resources
President Trump's budget for 2018 has the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take the steepest hit—31 percent. Funding for two vital programs, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Chesapeake Bay Program, will have their funds eliminated.

7 Ideas to Improve Transportation in the Pittsburgh Region
The Regional Transportation Alliance released its "Imagine Transportation 2.0" report this week.

Are Tiles Falling in Manhattan Tunnels?
In advance of unveiling his infrastructure plan on Tuesday night, President Trump pointed to the hazards posed by "missing tiles" in two New York City tunnels and wondered aloud how many had fallen on motorists. Answer: none.

Council Proposes Plan for Transit-Oriented Development in Philadelphia
Philadelphia City Council seeks ways to spur development without creating new traffic issues.

Unique 'Audio Portraits' Pay Homage to Urban Noise
One man's noise pollution is another man's symphony.
Draft District Plan Released in Philadelphia's Far Northeast
Planners are hard at work in a unique corner of the city of Philadelphia—the Far Northeast.

Philadelphia District Council Taking a Hard Line on Unsanctioned Planters and Benches
A bill to require Philadelphia residents to get a letter from their district council before putting a bench or planter in front of their homes faces a petition from 5th Square.
Case Study of an Unsafe Street
Street Road, a thoroughfare cutting through the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem, is a public safety disaster. PennDOT is investing in safety along the road, but locals say much more needs to be done.
Council President Clarke Op-Ed: A Call to Action for the Philadelphia Land Bank
Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke has called for more institutional support for the goals of the Philadelphia Land Bank.

Sitting on the Walls Prohibited in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square
The list of prohibitions for the use of public spaces grows—this time to the seemingly innocuous and park-perfect activity of sitting.

New Year's Day State Gas Tax Increases, Decreases, and What Lies Ahead
Pennsylvania, the state that had the highest gas tax last year, saw the highest gas tax increase of 7.9 cents per gallon, the final increment of a 2013 law. Michigan's 7.3 cents tax increase, signed into law in 2015, is the second largest increase.

For Once, Cars, Not Pedestrians, Make Room for Construction
In a welcome turnabout of the usual state of affairs, a Philadelphia construction site gives a lane of traffic to pedestrians to make up for the three blocks of sidewalk it's taking.
New to the Suburbs Near Philadelphia: Thousands of Upscale Apartments
Philadelphia suburbs are competing in the regional real estate market by adding thousands of apartments and other amenities traditionally found in more urban settings.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service