(5th and Spring Garden | Photo: Jon Geeting) Part four of our now-five-part series about the prospects for "Growth Machine" coalition politics under presumptive Mayor Cherelle Parker looks at some of the municipal pro-housing policies that could unite the different constituencies with a shared interest in more economic growth, jobs, and tax revenue. In our last newsletter we reviewed the recent political context and the opportunities for improving the regulatory environment around housing production, especially at the state level, and this week we look at some of the best opportunities for municipal pro-housing policy changes and legislation.  Continue reading

Part three of our four-part series about the prospects for "Growth Machine" coalition politics under presumptive Mayor Cherelle Parker looks at some pro-housing policies that could unite the different constituencies with a shared interest in more economic growth, jobs, and tax revenue. Part one of this series describes what is meant by the term "growth machine" and some of the reasons why this current of city politics could have some more influence following the 2023 primary election. Part two looks at some of the transportation priorities with the greatest potential for creating transportation access and sustained economic development in the Philadelphia region.  Continue reading

(The Noble at 2nd and Spring Garden, financed by the IBEW pension fund | Photo: Rising Real Estate) This article is the first installment in a four-part series looking at the state of play in Philadelphia's built-environment politics following the 2023 primary election. In this series, we'll outline some potential areas of alignment between the pro-growth constituencies who supported presumptive-Mayor Cherelle Parker's campaign, and voters in the neighborhoods that turned out most strongly for Parker. The first installment provides some background on the idea of the "growth machine" coalition and its relevance to Philly politics in 2024. Future newsletters in this series will dig into some of the specific policy areas of interest, like transportation and infrastructure, housing, fiscal policy, and some other odds and ends.  Continue reading

Photo: Jared Piper / Philadelphia City Council Philadelphia’s spirited 2023 has finally come to a close, with overall net positive results for the future of our city.  The big winners of the election were Black voters, moderate voters, and the Philadelphia Democratic Party establishment, along with the Philadelphia Building Trades unions under the leadership of Ryan Boyer. Cherelle Parker, the official choice of the trades, and the unofficial preferred pick of Democratic City Committee leadership, won the Mayoral election with 33% of the vote. Continue reading

(Image: The Philadelphia Citizen) It’s a little over 30 days until Election Day, and Philadelphia voters still haven’t seen a real unbiased poll of the Mayoral primary.   Continue reading

Candidates running for office in 2023 filed their Sixth Tuesday Pre-Primary campaign finance reports this week, showing how much money they raised and spent since the first of the year, how they spent their resources, and who’s funding their campaigns.  Continue reading

(Photo credit: Jon Geeting) Inquirer reporters Jake Blumgart and Sean Walsh talked to outgoing Council President Darrell Clarke about one of the big themes of his tenure in office, which we also focused on in our last newsletter: the steady power shift from the Mayor toward District City Council members on land use and built-environment questions. "Clarke announced Feb. 23 that he is not seeking reelection, ending a 40-year career in City Hall, which includes almost a quarter-century on City Council, 12 of those years as the Council’s leader. The defining principle of Clarke’s tenure — empowering hyperlocal decision-making, often at the expense of citywide policy — could last long after he is gone. It can be seen in the ever greater latitude of district Council members to set rules specific to their territory — to the chagrin of those who argue that it creates a patchwork of rules that makes it harder to do everything from making streets safer to opening a new coffee shop. It also tends to privilege the loudest voices, which are usually those most opposed to change."   Continue reading