Pennsylvania

City Apartments

Philadelphia to Add 10,000 Residents to Housing Voucher Wait List

After a decade-long delay, the city is taking new voucher applications. But for recipients, a voucher doesn’t guarantee they’ll find housing.

January 10, 2023 - WHYY

Row Houses at 48th between Walton and Cedar, West Philadelphia

New Short-Term Rental Rules to Take Effect in Philadelphia

The new rules are an attempt to get a handle on the short-term rental industry, which, due in part to little enforcement of existing regulations, has yielded ‘bad actors.’

January 1, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

A family exits from a rowhouse. Picture is identifiably from the 1980s based on the clothing fashion of the family.

How Philadelphia Prevented Mass Evictions

By requiring landlords to enter mediation before filing eviction cases, the city’s eviction diversion program has successfully kept thousands of people at risk for displacement in their homes.

December 28, 2022 - Next City

Green parking-protected bike lane in Philadelphia with old church in background

Philadelphia Adds 10 Miles of Bike Lanes in 2022

The city is nearing its 2015 goal of building 30 miles of protected bikeways.

December 23, 2022 - Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

Woman sitting at cafe table with laptop, holding coffee cup and looking out at street

Where Have All the Third Spaces Gone?

As businesses shortened their hours during the pandemic, Philadelphia residents found themselves with fewer options for places to spend their evenings.

December 19, 2022 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Group of people waiting in line at polling place

Brookings: A Demographic Post-Mortem of the Midterms

Young adults, according to a deep dive analysis by Brookings Metro demographer William Frey, were a key demographic group responsible for stopping the red wave that most polling predicted as the likely outcome of last month's midterm elections.

December 9, 2022 - Brookings

White SEPTA bus driving through snow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Plans Bus System Overhaul

Regional transit agency SEPTA plans to streamline its service by replacing some suburban bus routes with on-demand transit.

December 6, 2022 - WHYY

Indego

Study: Bikeshare Boosts Riding in Philadelphia

Public health researchers outline the benefits of Philadelphia’s Indego bikeshare network, which has encouraged more residents to choose biking over other transit modes.

November 2, 2022 - WHYY

Freshly painted white crosswalk leading to yellow curb cut to sidewalk

Following Lawsuit, Philadelphia to Add or Fix 10,000 Curb Cuts

Disability rights advocates won a settlement that directs the city to improve accessibility on its public roads over the next 15 years.

October 19, 2022 - WHYY

Pennsylvania

Adaptive Reuse Booming in Pittsburgh

The city is seeing rapid growth in residential development in its downtown core, signaling a shift to accommodate a reduced need for office space and a renewed interest in mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhoods.

October 11, 2022 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Man on a scaffold repairs a stucco wall.

Pennsylvania Law Ties Building Repair Loans to Affordability

A new state program provides forgivable loans for residential repairs and retrofits to landlords who don’t raise rents by more than 3 percent.

October 10, 2022 - Next City

Covered outdoor dining patio on street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Opinion: Support Citizen-Led Public Space Projects

A public space advocate outlines how Philadelphia’s city leaders could support the parklets, plazas, and other public space conversions that proliferated during the pandemic.

September 26, 2022 - WHYY

A photo of the former Heinz factory in Pennsylvania, renovated as condominiums and apartments.

Zoning Changes, Federal Funds Enable Adaptive Reuse Program in Pittsburgh

Funding and zoning changes are likely necessary but insufficient on their own, to borrow a phrase from Nolan Gray. Pittsburgh hopes to deploy both to spur adaptive reuse in the city.

September 26, 2022 - Trib Live

A family exits from a rowhouse. Picture is identifiably from the 1980s based on the clothing fashion of the family.

Is it a Rowhouse, or a Rowhome?

Philadelphia has long been acknowledged as the capital of rowhouses in the United States. It’s becoming more common for those rowhouses to be referred to as rowhomes.

September 25, 2022 - BillyPenn

A group of Latino dancers and musicians perform in front of the Love sculpture in Philadelphia.

New Film, Set on a Philly Bus, Celebrates the Magic of the Latino Community

The Latino community gathers on a bus, and joy ensues, in the new short film "La Guagua 47."

September 15, 2022 - WHYY

Electric Cars

Will California's EV Rule Spread to Other States?

Last month California banned the sale of new light duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. Over a dozen other states have the ability to adopt the same rule, but will they? The Associated Press investigates nine of them.

September 7, 2022 - The Associated Press

Two-story apartment building behind black iron fence in Pacoima, California

More Research Needed to Understand the Rental Market

Large institutional investors are changing the realities of the U.S. rental housing market, but a lack of information makes it hard for cities to respond.

September 7, 2022 - Urban Institute

Philadelphia SEPTA Station

Philadelphia Plans for a Transit Revolution

Three coordinated, ambitious, simultaneous planning initiatives are underway at SEPTA, the regional transportation authority for Greater Philadelphia.

September 1, 2022 - TransitCenter

Bus stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with blue bus and passengers boarding

Pittsburgh Launches Guaranteed Basic Mobility Pilot

The program aims to improve access to jobs and economic opportunities for some of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.

August 25, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

View from behind three traffic cameras at night on busy freeway

Philadelphia Deems Speed Camera Project a Success

City officials say an automated traffic enforcement pilot program has reduced speeding and crashes along the corridor where cameras were installed.

August 18, 2022 - ABC 6

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.

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.