Earlier this spring, Councilmembers Mark Squilla and David Oh teamed up to pass a two-year moratorium on new electric vehicle charging stations after a few outspoken residents of Society Hill complained about the impact on curb parking for regular cars. Continue reading

(Wine at Acme is awesome. It's also going to kill Philly's independent restaurant industry. | Photo: Jon Geeting) The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is on track to run out of money in the next few years, potentially putting taxpayers in the absurd position of subsidizing retail alcohol sales. It’s a problem of the state legislature’s making—and one they have the opportunity to solve. They should, for the benefit of us all. Continue reading

(Rendering: Women's Community Revitalization Project) Claudia Vargas's piece on how Councilmembers reserve city-owned land for favored developers and projects is both a great lens into why Philly continues to have more vacant land than any other large city, and a frustrating example of how nobody cares about the city tax base. Continue reading

(Fergie Tower: 300 units, hold the parking costs) A new study by economist Kevin Gillen for local brokerage firm Houwzer is the latest addition to the huge stockpile of evidence that bundling parking with housing makes houses more expensive. Continue reading

The City is still awarding public properties to tax-delinquent businesses, Ryan Briggs reports, despite recent efforts to sync revenue data with L+I's permitting software.  Continue reading

(Image: Philadelphia City Planning Commission) After a horrifying weekend of racist violence in Charlottesville, VA, in which white a supremacist demonstrator murdered counter-protestor Heather Heyer and injured dozens more, civil rights activists are more emboldened than ever to remove racist statues and symbols of white supremacy from public spaces in cities.  Continue reading

(Paseo Verde, Philly's most celebrated transit-oriented development project | Photo: Urban Land Institute) City Council passed an important piece of legislation at the end of their Spring session that didn't get much media attention, but has the potential to be a really big deal if Councilmembers decide to use it as intended.  Continue reading

Speaking in front of a packed house in the Free Library auditorium Thursday evening, a group of Philadelphia's up-and-coming political leaders weighed in on the future of the local Democratic and Republican parties, and how institutions and the city's political culture will change as the younger generations move into more positions of influence.  Continue reading

During the 2015 Mayoral primary, candidate Jim Kenney promised to bring back citywide street-sweeping services in Philadelphia. But now that he's Mayor, Kenney is trying to punt on the issue indefinitely. Continue reading

(South Philly home prices keep growing. Image: Lindy Institute) Melissa Romero reports that Philly has a record low inventory of homes on the market, according to the most recent Q2 housing report from the Lindy Institute. Continue reading