Why is Toll Bros. designing a "background" building for an iconic Philly neighborhood?
By Ashley Hahn After a couple of false starts, Toll Bros. is advancing a scaled-back proposal for a condo building, replacing…
How West Philadelphia businesses answer MLK's call to action
By Jabari K. Jones “We’ve got to realize that the moment is before us!” Those are the words that Dr. Martin Luther…
Design professionals discuss how to make room for all races in Philly public spaces
Sitting in front of a crowd of over one hundred, Tya Winn asked a row of audience members to stand. “There…
Forcing small business owners to remove protective barriers endangers public safety, does not make our communities better
Since 2000, my parents have operated a small family business in North Philadelphia, where we live and work. My parents, refugees…
HACE CEO: City Council should pass inclusionary zoning bill
Philadelphia’s housing market is red-hot. Building permits issued from 2013 through 2016 exceeded the previous seven years combined, and thousands of…
NLNA President: City Council, don’t fumble inclusionary zoning bill away on the two yard line
A mixed-income housing bill making its way through City Council aims at an important goal, but could miss the mark badly…
Not built in a day: One of PlanPhilly’s creators reflects on a decade of dedicated built-environment coverage
Michael Greenle facilitated the process that created PlanPhilly in 2006, shaped its outreach strategy at PennPraxis, stewarded its move from Penn…
PlanPhilly has a new managing editor: Ariella Cohen
As interim Managing Editor, I'm thrilled to announce that Ariella Cohen is the new Managing Editor for PlanPhilly. Ariella is an award-winning…
Monument Lab provided more questions than answers
Mural Arts Philadelphia’s temporary exhibition, Monument Lab: A Public Art and History Project, ended on November 19th. It asked: “What…
Mayor Rizzo’s discriminatory housing policies: confronting our past and present
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney recently announced that the statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo before the Municipal Services Building is to…
Our monuments are our continuation
Earlier this month in Philadelphia, years of protest — reignited by the August events in Charlottesville — culminated in an announcement…
As Philadelphia reflects on its monuments, some more questions to ask
Mural Arts' Monument Lab wants to know, “What is an appropriate monument for the current city of Philadelphia?” It’s a great…
Monumental matters in Philadelphia
Mural Arts Philadelphia’s temporary exhibition, Monument Lab: A Public Art and History Project, asks: “What is an appropriate monument…
Eyes on the Page: ‘Philadelphia: Finding the Hidden City,’ reviewed
Like the website and the festivals that supply the operative part of its title, Philadelphia: Finding the Hidden City is a…
Prominent Philly preservationist to Faithful Laurentians: Stop.
The foregoing is an open letter from Oscar Beisert, an architectural historian and one of Philadelphia’s most prominent preservationists, to…
Philadelphia’s statues and memorials don’t look like Philadelphia
Mural Arts’ Monument Lab asks the city’s residents: What is an appropriate monument for the current city of Philadelphia? PlanPhilly is…
Decisions loom for some of Philadelphia’s historic sacred places
Buildings constructed as houses of worship have long enriched Philadelphia’s urban landscape, embodying the city’s legacy of art and architecture and…
Neighbors helping Neighbors: East Parkside and Strawberry Mansion learn from each other
Every neighborhood has its sparkplug advocates, the do-ers who move mountains to improve their corners of the city, who doggedly find…
Tax diversion bill would preserve homeownership and improve property-tax collection efforts
Community Legal Services says property-tax delinquency is the biggest reason people come to its office seeking assistance right now. But community…
Architect Jeanne Gang on using design to strengthen community
Jeanne Gang is a rare bird among architects. Her 20-year old Chicago-based firm, Studio Gang, has cut a bold path, creating…
