One of the big themes candidates discussed a lot during this year's City Council campaign was refocusing economic development policy to create more opportunities in places outside of Center City, and commercial corridors are a great focal point for thinking about how to do that in practice.  Continue reading

Pennsylvania has been pretty far behind the times when it comes to voting access, and has lagged a lot of other states in taking proactive steps to make it easier to vote like allowing early voting, same-day registration, automatic registration, and more absentee and vote-by-mail options. But that could change if the State Government Committee, and ultimately the Republican legislative leadership, allows a raft of newly-proposed voting reforms to come up for a vote in Harrisburg. Continue reading

Philadelphia 3.0 is thrilled with the success of five out of six endorsed City Council candidates in Philadelphia’s 2019 primaries last Tuesday, including a major upset win by Jamie Gauthier in the 3rd City Council District, where 3.0 focused the vast majority of its resources. Continue reading

The pre-primary 2019 voter registration numbers are in, and we now know that just over 13,000 people registered to vote in Philadelphia between January 1st and April 22nd. Which areas of the city saw the biggest gains? Continue reading

Election Day is less than two weeks away on May 21st, and with such unusually competitive races for City Council, there are some real opportunities to make a difference for candidates you support by spending even just a couple hours volunteering to help them persuade voters, turn those voters out on Election Day, and make sure they’re provided with information about the candidate at their polling place Continue reading

A recent controversy that popped up this week over a weird "flag lot" development in Garden Court in West Philly, where a 30-unit mixed commercial building is going to be built essentially in the middle of the block behind a row of homes, provides an excellent example of what's wrong with some Council members' approach to neighborhood planning and zoning.  Continue reading

(State Rep. Angel Cruz | Image: NBC 10) The Philly Democratic machine has had it in for 7th District Council member Maria Quinones-Sanchez ever since she beat their preferred candidate Danny Savage in a primary back in 2007, and she's since developed a reputation as the one incumbent Democratic City Committee never supports for reelection—an incredible fact given how many questionable candidates can always count on the Party's uncritical backing. Continue reading

(Image: Center City District) Center City District's new State of Center City report is full of great statistics about the amazing growth of Philadelphia's downtown business district, as well as some of the underlying weaknesses we still face in competing with other big cities, and our nearby suburban municipalities for jobs, residents, and tax base. Continue reading

(City Council Districts) The new Democratic House majority in Washington has prioritized an ambitious political reform package, H.R. 1, as their first item of business, which would overhaul important aspects of the voting and campaigning landscape with the aim of expanding voting rights and restoring trust in the political system. Local government reform organization Committee of Seventy wants to harness some of that national momentum for a local anti-corruption, pro-accountability push, and this week they released an agenda they're calling Philadelphia Resolution 1 designed to strengthen our local democracy and governing institutions. Continue reading