Philadelphia
The Summer Heat Can’t Melt This Famous Philly “Sneckdown” — It’s Here to Stay
In a 2014 blog post, Jon Geeting photographed more than a dozen sneckdowns on Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia and outlined them in a bold green. It worked so well that one of the sneckdowns is now a permanent fixture, cast in concrete as a pedestrian island.
August 14, 2017
Will Philadelphia Go Backward on Parking Requirements and Housing Affordability?
In many American cities, free on-street parking remains more abundant than affordable housing. Despite the housing crunch spreading to more urban areas, the politics of parking threatens to keep it that way.
July 14, 2017
The Backstory and Aftermath of Philly’s Teen Bicycle Freeway Takeover
Perhaps you saw video on social media this week showing hundreds of teenagers riding bikes, popping wheelies on a Philadelphia expressway. It was an unauthorized freeway takeover that ought to have brought a smile to even the sourest face.
April 28, 2017
Philly’s Railcar Meltdown and America’s Disastrous Train Regulations
Philadelphia's commuter rail system has been plunged into turmoil after transit officials discovered a defect in SEPTA railcars this weekend.
July 7, 2016
New Philly Mayor Promises 30 Miles of Protected Bike Lanes by 2021
Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets.
February 16, 2016
New Philly Mayor: Politicos Can No Longer Park on the City Hall Sidewalk
The Jim Kenney administration is off to a promising start in Philadelphia. One of the mayor's first acts in office was to end the thoroughly obnoxious practice of letting government honchos park on the sidewalk "apron" around City Hall -- a public space.
January 7, 2016
Will the Pope’s Visit Lead to Massive Car-Free Days in Philly?
Since Pope Francis's visit this weekend, #pOpenstreets has become a rallying cry in Philadelphia. The hashtag has turned into a collective record of photos and insights about the surprising amount of fun and freedom that city residents enjoyed when 4.7 square miles of the city center went car-free.
October 1, 2015
Miraculous! Philly’s Open Streets Open Eyes During Papal Visit
The official name for it was the "traffic box" -- the 4.7-square-mile chunk of center city Philadelphia where incoming motor vehicles weren't allowed when Pope Francis was in town this weekend. But rather than the traffic nightmare some anticipated, something wonderful happened: #popenstreets.
September 29, 2015
Bike-Share Comes to Philly With the Launch of Indego
On Thursday, Philadelphia's long wait for a bike-share system came to an end with the launch of the 60-station, 600-bike Indego system, which is set to expand in the near future. At the kickoff, volunteers and officials -- including Mayor Michael Nutter -- rode about half of those bikes to their docking stations.
April 24, 2015
Philly Urbanists Launch Political Action Committee to Shake Up City Council
In a move that may mark, in the words of Philadelphia Magazine, "New Philadelphia's political awakening," a group of Philly urbanists launched a political action committee earlier this month to support candidates who will reform local land use, transportation, and taxation policies.
January 21, 2015