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Cindy Bass proposes eliminating 10-year tax abatement
On Wednesday afternoon, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Cindy Bass surprised her colleagues by circulating a bill that would end the city’s 10-year property tax abatement for any projects begun after Oct. 31,…
An education in how to be a better neighborhood advocate
Learning how Philly government works can be a circuitous and sometimes frustrating thing. In my experience, it takes years. It takes walking the halls of City Hall, hours of random conversations…
Favored to rise at 709 Chestnut St.: A 27-story condo tower
A condo tower proposed for 709 Chestnut St. received glowing reviews from the Civic Design Review Committee and the city’s Planning Commission staff at a presentation of the project Tuesday. The…
In Philly, planners increasingly want to talk with you, not at you
Public planning meetings can be contentious, to say the least. Randy LoBasso would know. As the communications director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, he attends a lot of these…
A master plan for Society Hill proposes new design guidelines -- and downzoning
The Society Hill Civic Association has presented a new master plan to the city’s Planning Commission, a proposal encompassing both an innovative way to manage the open space that laces throughout…
Looking at Philadelphia from the prism of `The Divided City'
Author Alan Mallach will appear in conversation with PlanPhilly's Jake Blumgart from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 26 at Pipeline Philly, 30 S. 15th St. I recently published a book called…
Activists' protest delays, but doesn't derail, affordable-housing bills
City Council President Darrell Clarke’s affordable-housing package moved forward Thursday, despite activists who occupied the council chamber for 30 minutes to protest provisions of the bills that they argue would deprive…
City Council brokers compromise with developers on new construction tax and incentives for affordable housing
Philadelphia City Council announced on Wednesday — the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act — an ambitious package of affordable housing bills, including a new tax on construction. The legislation…
Darrell Clarke: I’ll 'entertain' Temple's stadium proposal if and when the community supports it
For the past couple months, protests against Temple University’s proposed 35,000-seat stadium have dominated the public comment period customary at every meeting of the City Council. Project opponents have called, repeatedly,…
A new plan for Chinatown
Philadelphia’s Chinatown is a mere 0.3 square miles, a postage stamp community that nonetheless enjoys an impressive purchase on the city’s psyche. As Center City booms around it, this little ethnic…
Why does Philadelphia love downzoning so much?
Following the Planning Commission’s approval two weeks ago, a raft of zoning remapping bills sailed through a breezy City Council hearing on Tuesday. There were no questions from the arrayed councilmembers…
West Philly residents plan, in the hopes they won't get planned for
On Tuesday night, at West Philadelphia High School, a committed core of community leaders and civic activists came together to vote on the priorities for the West District plan. The citywide…
Eastwick starts community-oriented planning process hoping to rewrite the history of urban renewal
A new era started this Tuesday for neighbors in Eastwick. For the first time ever, representatives from the community sat at the same table with city planners and agencies to decide…
City to weigh 'social impact' of development proposals on public land
The Redevelopment Authority will release a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the surface parking lot at 8th and Race streets on Friday morning. The parcel is 140,000 square feet, a vast…
Council adopts zoning changes allowing more density in Center City
City Council voted on Thursday to approve a bill that allows slightly taller and denser buildings at key corner properties in Center City. The bill has been in the works for…
July 16: Philly housing market round-up | German ideas to steal | Toomey's transportation funding idea
Single-family housing sales and prices are up all over the city, and Kevin Gillen says the market saw "its best quarter in ten years this past spring." Citywide, one-bedroom rents…
Is Philadelphia underestimating how many will come to see Pope Francis?
Donna Farrell, executive director of the World Meeting of the Families, described Pope Francis as comforting during today’s press conference on public transportation options when the Holy Father visits on September…
Planners endorse temporary zoning overlay for Washington Ave.
The Philadelphia City Planning Commission voted on Tuesday to recommend a new zoning overlay for Washington Avenue west of Broad Street. The measure is intended as a temporary bulwark to keep…
SE Pennsylvania is driving less even as economy grows, bucking regional and national trends
A few weeks ago, I received a seemingly random email with the subject: “Interested in Test Driving a New GM Vehicle?” Assuming it was spam and not interested in buying a…
Darrell Clarke wants to restructure the government. Does anybody else?
It wasn’t hostility that filled the Council Chambers last month, when the committee on law and government held a hearing to consider a proposal to restructure the local government and create…
