76 Place: What Does Great City Planning Look Like?
December 19, 2024
By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
Great city planning prioritizes the needs of the community and urban coherence, which critics argue is lacking in the development approach for the proposed 76 Place arena in Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia is too often in crisis mode, which does nothing to stop future crises
September 21, 2023
By Christopher Wink and Michael O'Bryan
Urgency is vital, but frantic responses to crises are unproductive. One day, we will be somebody’s ancestor, and they’ll tell stories about us. What do we want them to say?
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$10 Million Gift Establishes Wilbur C. Henderson Real Estate Institute at Drexel
September 14, 2023
With a $10 million gift from the Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation, Drexel University is establishing the Wilbur C. Henderson Real Estate Institute in the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. The commitment will support Drexel’s ongoing efforts to leverage real estate development as a vehicle for civic engagement and train current and future real estate professionals to navigate the evolving industry through the lens of sustainability, equity and inclusion.
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Through the highs and lows of the ‘state of the city,’ residents want a nuanced approach to solving Philly’s biggest challenges
April 13, 2023
By Paige Gross
A majority of polled Philadelphians said the city is going in the wrong direction. Here's where leaders across business, academia, healthcare and nonprofits say we go from here.
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Does Philly need the Sixers arena on East Market?
March 15, 2023
By Jeff Gammage and Massarah Mikati
For an arena to help Market East, said Harris Steinberg, executive director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University, the team must install fresh and appealing attractions that draw people and dollars even when the arena is empty. And that does so without harming Chinatown, which for half a century has fought for its survival against outside development projects.
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"We Buy Houses." Philadelphians Lose Out.
March 03, 2023
By Bruce Katz, Ben Preis and Kevin Gillen
Last year, the Nowak Metro Finance Lab, Reinvestment Fund, and Accelerator for America published a report: Investor Home Purchases and the Rising Threat to Owners and Renters. The Lab’s report highlighted the disconcerting trends of investors large and small buying up residential properties, changing neighborhoods, and harming homeowners, homebuyers, and tenants.
In Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Richmond — which was the scope of the study’s data collection efforts — the results indicated that investors were most active in distressed neighborhoods: areas with low mortgage lending, low-incomes, and disproportionately large non-white populations. Last month, Bruce Katz presented these findings as part of a Housing and Urban Development event on Institutional Investors on Housing.
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Median Home Sales Price in Region Continues to Drop
March 01, 2023
By Jeremy Swales
Homebuyers in the Philadelphia region can finally breathe a little easier as the metro area’s home sales price went down four percent in January compared with the same month last year to $240,000, write Isaac Avilucea and Mike D’Onofrio for the Axios.
Compared to December, January prices fell by 6.7 percent.
Any relief is welcome, considering that mortgage rates have gone up slightly to 6.3 percent in recent weeks. However, they are still down from their 7 percent peak in November.
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High-end, short-term rental apartments planned for Chinatown parking lot
February 23, 2023
By Jake Blumgart
Gowtham Reddy has big plans for Philadelphia, and the latest is an 81-unit short-term rental apartment building in Chinatown.
The seven-story building is planned to rise from what is now a parking lot at 13th and Summer Streets and includes a restaurant on the ground floor, a double-decker roof deck, and an option to stay for weeks, months, or years.
“I build these as upscale luxury apartments, but we run them more or less like hotel, corporate-stay accommodation,” said Reddy, CEO of Genesis Capital. “We cater to the new class of professionals who are not tied down, who don’t look to buy houses with the white picket fence.”
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How Philadelphia’s Economy Is Recovering
February 23, 2023
In June 2022, The Pew Charitable Trusts assessed the status of Philadelphia’s economic recovery two years into the pandemic, identifying five key questions likely to determine the city’s future performance. Those questions concerned jobs, the level of remote work, the size of the workforce, the strength of the housing market, and the implications for an equitable recovery.
This brief, part of a series on Philadelphia’s fiscal and economic future, provides updated answers to those questions, while also evaluating city government revenue. The results show progress in some areas—such as the amount of city revenue—and continuing concerns in others, including overall employment.
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New data show Philly’s housing market is still in a tough place
February 15, 2023
By Aaron Moselle
New data out of Philadelphia draws a familiar conclusion about the city’s housing market: It’s a rotten time to be a potential first-time buyer.
Mortgage rates have come down a bit, but remain elevated. Home prices are still considerably higher than they were pre-pandemic. And inventory is low, in part because existing homeowners aren’t selling.
“We’re in the bad times,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
“It’s uncomfortable for people in the housing market. And if you’re a realtor, this is really bad. If you’re a single-family home builder, it doesn’t feel all that good.”
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See how the property tax abatement reshaped some Philly neighborhooods — and left others untouched
February 14, 2023
By Jake Blumgart and Kasturi Pananjady
Few municipal policies have done more to transform Philadelphia in the 21st century than the 10-year property tax abatement for residential development. And few have proven as controversial.
New data made available to The Inquirer allow us to map the shifting geographies of the property tax break over its 20-year life span, before it was curtailed last year.
City officials created the policy in 2000 to stanch five decades of population loss by exempting the value of significant real estate improvements from property taxes. For a new building, that meant every brick and board was tax-free for a decade: Owners needed to pay only for the assessed value of the land on which their home sits.
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Demystifying the market right now
January 26, 2023
By Michaelle Bond
A couple weeks ago, my colleague Aseem Shukla and I shared four charts explaining December’s slowing housing market. And now we have more evidence that activity from buyers and sellers has slowed.
Throughout the fourth quarter of 2022, sales and prices dropped, according to research that Drexel economist Kevin Gillen shared with The Inquirer. Higher mortgage interest rates, housing unaffordability, and a slower economy pumped the breaks on the market locally and nationally.
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Downtown Philadelphia Stages a Comeback
January 11, 2023
By Scott Calvert
This city’s downtown is showing fresh signs of renewed economic vitality, buoyed by strong housing demand, hospitality-sector growth and a return-to-work push led by employers such as Comcast Corp., despite ongoing concerns about crime.
Cities across the country have struggled to rebound from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, when a shift to working from home hollowed out many downtown cores. Residents, business owners, workers and local commerce officials say they see clear improvement in Philadelphia’s Center City as the pandemic begins to turn a corner into its fourth year.
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Housing policies designed to protect Philadelphia renters could backfire, new study says
December 02, 2022
By Paul Schwedelson
Implementing policies designed to protect tenants and address affordability in the local rental market could disproportionately harm mom-and-pop landlords in Philadelphia, according to a new study.
Kevin Gillen, the senior research fellow at Drexel University's Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation who conducted the study, found that Philadelphia’s rental housing stock is owned by an unconcentrated group of landlords dominated by individuals rather than institutions. Those small-scale landlords, already operating without much wiggle room in their budgets, would be hurt by rent control and other one-size-fits-all policies, possibly resulting in unintended consequences like a reduction in housing supply, according to the study.
“Landlords in Philadelphia are much more diverse and diffuse than people think,” Gillen said. “… Any policy intended to help out the tenant at the expense of the landlord could just end up hurting another working class person even though it’s intended to help the original working class person.”
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Philly Houses Are Selling Faster — and for More Money — Than Ever. How Long Can That Last?
July 31, 2021
By Sandy Smith
Right now, the competition for properties is fierce. But the bubble has to pop eventually — right?
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Thousands of Philadelphians left the city during the pandemic – but they didn’t all flee to the suburbs
July 14, 2021
By Kennedy Rose
While it’s no surprise that thousands of residents fled Philadelphia during the Covid-19 pandemic, a recent report shows that the suburbs did not gain nearly as many people as the city lost.
Using migration and address change data supplied by the United States Postal Service, a report from Kevin C. Gillen, an economist with Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, found that the city lost more than 35,000 households while the suburbs gained just 4,400 between February 2020 and April 2021.
The pandemic upended thousands of Philadelphians’ living situations. Young professionals may have moved back home with their parents to save on rent while working remotely, renters increasingly considered buying homes, and many of the wealthy retreated to second homes or rented enclaves in the suburbs or more rural areas to escape the densely populated city.
Philadelphia proper lost 200,588 households according to USPS data and gained back 165,098, showing a net loss of over 35,000 households. Meanwhile,the suburbs saw 456,625 households leave while adding 461,030 — a net growth of 4,405 households.
The 19103 ZIP code, which encompasses Rittenhouse Square and Logan Square, saw the most residents leave during the pandemic. That ZIP code saw a net loss of 2,483 households between February 2020 and April 2021. University City's 19104 ZIP code was close behind with a net decline of 2,294 households during the pandemic.
Gillen’s research shows that people looked to move away from urban centers, commuter suburbs and areas with high percentages of renters or multifamily housing during the pandemic.
Gaining the most residents was northern Delaware's 19709, which encompasses Middletown and some smaller towns nestled along the Delaware River. The 19709 ZIP code saw a positive net change of 1,592 households, the only Philadelphia-area community to increase by more than 1,000 households during the pandemic. Other popular suburbs were Downingtown and Mount Laurel, which had net gains of 854 and 608 households, respectively.
People increasingly migrated toward more outer suburbs and rural areas, higher-income neighborhoods and towns, areas with a larger population of people over the age of 65, and places with a higher average educational attainment. Middletown, Downingtown and Mount Laurel all have median household incomes close to or more than $100,000, with fewer than a quarter of households being renters.
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Philadelphia's Union Thuggery
March 09, 2021
Good luck building in Philadelphia without paying off Big Labor. The building-trades unions have maintained a choke-hold on construction in the city, including through violence and intimidation. An indictment last week shines light on business as usual.
The case involves John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, the boss of Philadelphia’s International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, and his 28-year-old nephew, Gregory Fiocca. Federal prosecutors say the two men used “force and violence, and threats of violence and economic harm” to extort a contractor into paying Mr. Fiocca for a no-show job.
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Why Is Mayor Kenney Leaving Money on the Table?
March 09, 2021
Property tax collections have been holding up relatively better than other city taxes throughout that last year, and Kevin Gillen's Q4 housing report for Drexel University's Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation found that city home values increased by about 12.8% from one year ago.
Under a functional assessment system, the increase in real values could be cushioning the blow more from the Covid-related budget hits, but in the world we live in, the city's not bringing what it should.
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Philly Housing Market Is 'White Hot': Is Another Real Estate Bubble Looming?
February 25, 2021
One of the city's top real estate analysts says he's never seen the increases in home sale prices for some neighborhoods as his newest report shows. But the high numbers are concerning for a few reasons.
Home sale prices in Philadelphia rose dramatically in 2020, up nearly 13% overall and even moreso in neighborhoods not traditionally known for steep increases, according to the quarterly analysis by Drexel University economist Kevin Gillen.
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Will Tax Abatement Reform Trade Short-Term Gain for Long-Term Pain?
November 06, 2019
The public schools need the money now, say some advocates for the tax abatement's end. Giving it to them now could cost the city in the long run, a 2018 analysis finds.
Just about all of the declared candidates for Philadelphia City Council seats next month have proposed changes to the 10-year tax abatement on new construction and property improvements. At least one candidate has proposed eliminating it completely, and several others have proposed changes that will either phase out the abatement over time or limit the abatement to properties under a certain value.
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Building industry endorses changes to 10-year tax abatement as City Council mulls next steps
November 06, 2019
The building industry is ready to support changes to the city’s 10-year-tax abatement but remains dead set against ending the tax break, the head of a development industry group says.
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New Philly penthouse listed for a record 25M
October 12, 2019
If there were ever an indication of how much the Philadelphia real estate market has transformed, look no further than the $25 million condo being marketed on Rittenhouse Square.
At the Laurel, the 48-story tower that will soon rise near 19th and Walnut Streets, Southern Land Co. is hoping that the unit’s views from almost 600 feet above ground will be enough to secure the priciest home sale in Philadelphia history. Should the Nashville-based developer get what it’s asking, the Laurel’s penthouse will beat out 500 Walnut’s top floor, which sold for $17.03 million in 2017, and caused such a stir that it was rumored to have been purchased by Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
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Why is poverty increasing in Northeast Philly
September 19, 2019
For years, Glenda Banner donated food to the Somerton Interfaith Food Bank, housed in a tiny, 120-year-old white chapel that sits in a quiet, green slice of Philadelphia more like a suburban hamlet than a city neighborhood.
But five years ago, Banner, 62, who is a widow and has lived in the Northeast since 1975, suffered a stroke that ended her 35 years of employment as a health-care worker.
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That empty lot across from Pat’s and Geno’s? Apartments, rowhouses likely soon at Philly’s cheesesteak corner.
August 08, 2019
Of all the lots in Philadelphia to sit vacant, the patch of land at Ninth and Wharton Streets has long been more puzzling than most.The lot, measuring more than 9,000 square feet, offers more than enough space for a developer to plop down new housing, stores, or a park. The site, in the heart of Philadelphia's cheesesteak capital, couldn't be in a better trafficked area. Situated directly across from Pat's King of Steaks, with Geno's Steaks in the near distance, the corner has hungry patrons flocking around the clock in this otherwise largely residential neighborhood.
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Amid a construction (and demolition) boom, Philly announces steps to beef up historic preservation
April 04, 2019
By: Caitlin McCabe
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Strongest growth in housing production in Center City Philly area since 2002, new report finds
February 19, 2019
by Alfred Lubrano
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Opportunity Zones: Can a tax break for rich people really help poor people?
January 14, 2019
By: Jared Bernstein
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Mortgage rates are expected to rise in 2019. If you're shopping for a home, it could get tougher.
January 03, 2019
By: Caitlin McCabe
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Finding a Consensus around Historic Preservation in Philadelphia
December 13, 2018
By: Jared Brey
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After 18-month study, Mayor Kenney's preservation task force offers a few (modest) proposals
December 13, 2018
By: Inga Saffron
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Demolition 'crisis' gets taskforce's attention
December 13, 2018
By: Jake Blumgart
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Philly region's housing market in 2019" The slowdown will continue, experts say
November 23, 2018
By: Caitlin McCabe
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New map shows Philly renter spike sharper than other big cities
October 16, 2018
By: Jake Blumgart
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Missing Middle Housing Needs to Take Into Account Changing Household Demographics
October 15, 2018
By: Steve Lubetkin
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Philly land prices plummet,as weakening housing market tightens purse strings
October 09, 2018
By: Jacob Adelman
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Kenneys Housing Shortfall
September 10, 2018
The Kenney administration debuted a draft version of their Housing Action Plan overview this week, and while the plan isn’t yet complete, so far it’s looking pretty underwhelming.
The headline target for homes created or saved is a nice, round 100,000 units over 10 years, and while PlanPhilly’s coverage summarizes the strategy as “adding” 100,000 “new” units, the bulk of the agenda is really mostly about preserving and restoring existing homes and helping their current occupants stay in them, rather than significantly adding to the housing stock.
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Is Philly's housing market still hot? As buyers grow nervous and tired, home prices are slowing
August 02, 2018
By: Caitlin McCabe
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The Abatement Debate
July 26, 2018
By: Kevin C Gillen
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Old homes, high poverty make Philadelphia housing less than affordable for some
July 25, 2018
By: Anna Kramer
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Preservation Task Force Gears Up For Final Report
July 20, 2018
By: Starr Herr-Cardillo
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Historic preservation task force notes other cities' policies as it charts its own course
July 19, 2018
By: Jake Blumgart
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Philadelphias condo boom lures hipsters and baby boomers
June 28, 2018
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Sale of PPA's 8th & Chestnut lot hints at future development
June 19, 2018
By: Alison Burdo
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As Philadelphia considers scrapping tax abatement, new report provides debate fodder for both sides
June 18, 2018
By: Jim Saska
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Census data show Chester County's hot South Jerseys not. Here's how towns are changing.
June 11, 2018
By: Jonathon Lai & Laura McCrystal- Staff Writers
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City Council tweaks bill requiring developers to provide more parking in Philly neighborhoods
May 23, 2018
Jake Blumgart
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No parking
May 17, 2018
The winning bidder to redevelop the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. property in West Philadelphia — once seen as a future headquarters for the city Police Department — will now have less to work with.City officials told the three finalists seeking to revamp the campus at 4601 Market St. that two parking lots on the property, now used by an adjacent juvenile jail, cannot be included in their plans.The lots, to the immediate east and south of the Juvenile Justice Services Center (JJSC) at 48th Street and Haverford Avenue, cover two acres of the 15-acre site, according to Jessica Calter, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., which is overseeing the property's sale.The lots were placed off limits after officials preparing for the property's eventual sale learned that they had been built using tax-exempt bonds as part of the JJSC's construction, which places "significant limitations" on their redevelopment, Calter said.
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An electronic billboard in Fairmount Park: Is nothing sacred?
May 17, 2018
Harris Steinberg
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A look at whether Philadelphia's 10-year tax abatement should continue
May 03, 2018
Joel Naroff
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Philadelphia's Proposed One Percent Construction Tax/Impact Fee: Good Compromise or a Fool's Bargain?
May 03, 2018
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Should City Council control Philly property values? New bill says yes.
May 01, 2018
Evan Bowen-Gaddy
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Philly construction tax draws mixed reactions from housing analysts
April 26, 2018
By: Ryan Briggs
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How rising tides and housing prices impact the Jersey Shore
April 26, 2018
Caroline Bartholomew
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Can 'Localism' Restore Sanity to U.S. Politics?
April 11, 2018
By Gracy Olmstead
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Riverfronts bringing new life and energy to Philadelphia
March 22, 2018
by The Inquirer Editorial Board
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Time for Philly to study how and who it taxes
March 14, 2018
Jose F Mereno
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What's working-and what's not-with Philadelphia historic preservation
March 14, 2018
Caitlin McCabe
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A tweak to the city's plumbing code on tap to lower housing costs, but will Philly politics stand in the way?
February 02, 2018
Jake Blumgart
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Richard Florida Call For Truce in Amazon HQ2 Bidding War
January 31, 2018
Sandy Smith
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Report: Philly's housing inventory dipped to all-time low at end of 2017
January 23, 2018
Mellssa Romero
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6 inspiring city innovations from around the world- including one from Philly
January 19, 2018
Harris Steinberg
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THREE WAYS TO REFORM THE 10-YEAR TAX ABATEMENT
January 12, 2018
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Philly ER doctor on opioid epidemic: I know the frustration of getting someone into recovery
January 12, 2018
Dr. Priya Mammen
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Philadelphia Hopes to Harmonize Historic Preservation
December 26, 2017
By Jared Brey
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What housing shortage? In Philly suburbs, homes are available- just not the kind buyers want
December 08, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, STAFF WRITER
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"It's going to make it more expensive to live here": Why N.J., Pa might face housing blow under GOP tax bill
December 08, 2017
Jonathan Tamari, Michaelle Bond & Laura McCrystal - Staff Writers
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Report: Philly's suburban housing market remains sluggish
December 04, 2017
Mellssa Romero
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70 high-end townhouses planned for Manayunk's long-vacant Venice Island
November 29, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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Not built in a day: One of PlanPhilly's creators reflects on a decade of dedicated built-environmnet coverage
November 27, 2017
Michael Greenle
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Drexel's Urban Innovation Fellows are tackling workforce development and public health
November 17, 2017
Albert Hong
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As Construction Booms, Philadelphia Seeks to Preserve Its Past
November 14, 2017
Jon Hurdle
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Philadelphia Archdiocese moves forward with vision to redevelop cathedral campus near Logan Square
October 31, 2017
Caitlin McCabe
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The Citizen Recommends: Urban Innovation in the Age of Trump
October 27, 2017
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
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Drexel pushes next generation of urban innovation
October 26, 2017
Harris Steinberg
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Report: Philly's housing market is still hot, but relief may be on the way
October 25, 2017
Melissa Romero
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"Quality of Life" is Philadelphia's biggest selling point. Can it survive an Amazonian invasion?
October 23, 2017
Jim Saska
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Not exactly prime: Philly's taxing business environment doesn't help odds of landing Amazon's HQ2
October 17, 2017
Jim Saksa
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In renters' market, Philly landlords cut prices and offer enticements to woo tenants
October 16, 2017
Bobby Allyn
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What Philly would need to give up to win Amazon
October 10, 2017
Mark Dent
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From gun violence to opioids; if you want a job done, ask a busy city | Editorial
October 02, 2017
Inquirer Editorial Board
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The promise and peril of Cheltenham Race and education in a changing suburban school district
September 28, 2017
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Beware, Philadelphia: Amazon could drive up housing prices
September 19, 2017
Caitlin McCabe
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How I-95 broke Philly's waterfront (and what the city is doing to fix it)
September 19, 2017
Jared Brey
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Task force focuses first on state of preservation in Philly
September 18, 2017
Ashley Hahn
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After a century, Philadelphia struggles to figure out what the Parkway should be
September 07, 2017
Inga Saffron, Architect Critic
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Can Workforce Housing Really Happen?
August 26, 2017
Sandy Smith
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Market shift pitches Dranoff toward condos on South Broad corner
August 24, 2017
Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer
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Want city-owned land? It might already be reserved for someone else
August 21, 2017
Claudia Vargas
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There's no such thing as free parking in Philly, says economist who calculated how much off-street parking adds to housing prices
August 18, 2017
Jake Blumgart
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Study: Second quarter best for Philadelphia suburban housing market since 2012
August 10, 2017
Philadelphia Business Journal Staff
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The Untapped Wealth of American Cities
August 06, 2017
Bruce Katz/ Jeremy Nowak
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Meet the McMansion for Millennials
August 05, 2017
Sandy Smith
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Suburbs boast best real estate market since recession, but don't get too excited yet
August 05, 2017
Caitline McCabe, Staff Writer
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Lawmakers must have the courage to oppose concealed-carry proposal
July 31, 2017
Charles Ramsey
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Has Philly hit peak pop-up? Vacant lots, valet parking lanes - and, now, The Median
July 27, 2017
Samantha Melamed, staff writer
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As Philadelphia's housing market booms, economists warn the city may be in a bubble-or something worse
July 25, 2017
Jim Saksa
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Delaware River redevelopment starts with highway ramp demolition
July 25, 2017
Inga Saffron
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New historic preservation task force sets about ensuring the past stays present as city grows
July 24, 2017
Ashley Hahn
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Report: Philly's housing inventory has hit an all-time low
July 20, 2017
Melissa Romero
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Philly's next hot neighborhoods: They might be farther out than you think
July 20, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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View from the Top: Two new luxury buildings welcome the wealthy-...
June 08, 2017
Jake Blumgart
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As Philly real estate booms, suburbs left in dust
May 31, 2017
Andrew Parent, Philly Voice Contributor
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Despite vibrancy in Philly's suburbs, home values still struggle
May 28, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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Squilla calls increased Delaware waterfront height limit 'progressive'-waterfront...
May 19, 2017
Jake Blumgart
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On the House: It's the most profitable time to sell your home
May 18, 2017
Caitlin McCabe
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Report Phillys home prices jumped 5 percent in early 2017
May 09, 2017
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Dispelling common myths about Philadelphia's 10-year tax abatement
May 08, 2017
Leo Addimando and Kevin Gillen, Guest Columnists
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Philadelphia's market is red-hot economist says, but not necessarily equal for all
May 02, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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Balancing Philadelphia's past, future
April 26, 2017
The Daily News Editorial Board
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Philly has a new historic preservation task force
April 21, 2017
Melissa Romero, Curbed
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NewsWorks Tonight April 20, 2017 - Full Show
April 20, 2017
Tom MacDonald, NewsWorks Staff
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Task Force to Revise City Preservation Policy
April 20, 2017
Sandy Smith, Philly Mag
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Preserving History: City Launches Historic Preservation Task Force
April 20, 2017
Max Bennett, Patch Staff
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Kenney launches Historic Preservation Task Force
April 20, 2017
Ashley Hahn, PlanPhilly
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Task Force to Reassess Philadelphia's Historic Preservation
April 20, 2017
CBS Philly
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Kenney aiming to keep preservation pledges with task force on historic protections
April 19, 2017
Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer
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Tax Abatement Huge Shot in Arm for City, Study Finds
April 10, 2017
Sandy Smith
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Brewerytown, set to be Philly's next hot neighborhood, experiences growing pains
April 07, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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The state of Philly's housing market in, five charts
April 07, 2017
Melissa Romero
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Commentary: Numbers show that tax abatements benefit city
April 04, 2017
James Maransky and Kevin Gillen
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No property taxes, no problem: Study finds controversial abatement has been positive for Philly
March 23, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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Is this the holy grail project that could jump-start revitalization of North Philly?
March 18, 2017
Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer
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Millionaires wave goodbye to the mansion as the luxury market booms in Philly
March 17, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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Homebuyers Face Bidding Wars on Scarcer-Than-Ever U.S. Listings
March 17, 2017
Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg Staff Writer
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As Philly's housing market forges ahead, suburban prices still limp along
March 03, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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Philadelphia Has a New Plan for Its 43,000 Vacant Lots
February 27, 2017
Sandy Smith, Next City
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Philly's housing market cooled at 2016's end. A blip or a trend in the making?
February 13, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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To buy or to rent? That is the question
February 10, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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When tax abatements expire, property values don't suffer, study shows
January 16, 2017
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer
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Philly rents rising quickly
January 13, 2017
Tom Macdonald, Staff Writer
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Philadelphia rents rose second-fastest in the nation in 2016, new report says
January 11, 2017
Caitlin McCabe, Real Estate Columnist
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Suggestions for saving Philly's heritage while guiding its future
January 08, 2017
Alan J. Heavens, Staff Writer
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Jersey Shore Politics: This Is What Happens When No One's Looking
January 07, 2017
David Gambacorta, Staff Writer
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The Boyer Report at 20: An Appreciation
January 05, 2017
Harris M. Steinberg, FAIA
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As rental prices soar, Philadelphia loses one-fifth of affordable housing
December 22, 2016
Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer
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A workforce-housing effort breaks ground at last
December 11, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Philly.com Real Estate Writer
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Commentary: Pipelines safely, efficiently transport oil and gas
November 25, 2016
Kevin C. Gillen, Senior Research Fellow, Lindy Institute
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The housing cycle, it goes round and round
November 06, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Staff Writer
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How about a forward-looking plan for preserving the past?
October 23, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Staff Writer
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Developers Are Still Ignoring Philly's Vision for the Waterfront
September 27, 2016
Jared Brey, Philadelphia Magazine
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Historic Preservation in Philly Needs A Truce - and Then a Plan
September 26, 2016
Tony West, Philadelphia Public Record
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Where to Go From the Anger in Charlotte
September 24, 2016
Charles H. Ramsey, New York Times -- Opinion
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The rising cost of housing in Philadelphia [PDF for non-subscribers]
September 01, 2016
Natalie Kostelni, Reporter
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The rising cost of housing in Philadelphia
September 01, 2016
Natalie Kostelni, Reporter
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Report: Home values in Philly suburbs rose 7 percent in second quarter
August 29, 2016
Melissa Romero, Curbed Philadelphia
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U.S. sales of new homes near nine-year high in July
August 24, 2016
Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer
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Toll Bros. seeks to build 16-story residential building on Jewelers Row
August 12, 2016
Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer
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Philly's Ground Game
August 12, 2016
Philadelphia Daily News, Editorial
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Philly home prices reach all-time high
August 10, 2016
Jon Geeting, PlanPhilly
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Rising home prices, quick sales - Philly's in a sellers' market
August 10, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer
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Report: Philly is officially a seller's market with house prices at all-time high
August 08, 2016
Melissa Romero, Curbed Philadelphia
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For More U.S. Cities, Downtown is a Center of Economic Strength
August 05, 2016
Scott Calvert, Wall Street Journal
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What drives city development: A "chicken-egg" examination
July 24, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer
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Saving for down payment? Give up posh coffee
July 12, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer
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Busting the myth of the slow summer real estate market
July 11, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Here's How Much You Need to Save Each Day to Buy a Home in 15 Top Cities
July 11, 2016
Clare Trapasso, realtor.com
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Prices surging for Philly home sales
May 17, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Philly home prices hit a post-Recession high
May 16, 2016
Jon Geeting, PlanPhilly
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Economist: Philadelphia housing prices reach record levels
May 16, 2016
Jerry Gaul, PhillyVoice Staff
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Philly House Values Shoot Past Pre-Recession Levels
May 16, 2016
Sandy Smith, Phillymag.com
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A 'positive, but' outlook for N.J. economy, housing
May 01, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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A real estate reach stretching far beyond Philly's borders
April 26, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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At Home in Philadelphia's Center City
April 11, 2016
Bendix Anderson, UrbanLand, The Magazine of the Urban Land Institute
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Alan Greenberger chairs newly appointed Art Commission
April 06, 2016
Jared Brey, PlanPhilly
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Building boom continues to reverberate northeast of Center City
March 28, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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RealtyTrac: Philly zip codes tops for hipster home flipping
March 12, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Spaces We Love | Race Street Pier
March 08, 2016
Harris Steinberg, Executive Director of the Lindy Institute of Urban Innovation
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What's driving Philly's rising land values?
March 04, 2016
Jon Geeting, Engagement Editor, Plan Philly
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Drexel outlines ambitious plans to build business-residential enclave
March 02, 2016
Jacob Adelman, Inquirer Staff Writer
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Drexel and Brandywine Realty Trust Partner on "Schuylkill Yards" Innovation Development
March 02, 2016
Niki Gianakaris, DrexelNow
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Assessing ways to establish the value of Philadelphia's vacant land
February 25, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Ex-Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger talks Philly Development Boom, New Drexel Gig
February 18, 2016
Melissa Romero, Curbed Philadelphia
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Blatstein plan for old Foxwoods tract includes gas station, strip mall
February 04, 2016
Jacob Adelman, Inquirer Staff Writer
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Brickstone Cos. plans still more apartments for Market East
January 28, 2016
Jacob Adelman, staff writer, Philly.com
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On the House: Foreclosures at lowest level in a decade
January 24, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Aiming to build a better city, block by block
January 17, 2016
Mike Newall, Inquirer Columnist
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On the house: Dreaming of a home, but rents tell a harder truth
January 17, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Ramsey gets part-time gig at Drexel
January 14, 2016
Susan Snyder, Philly.com
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On the House: Fed's rate increase will have little effect on the market
January 03, 2016
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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What will rise in interest rate mean for Philadelphia housing market?
December 16, 2015
Dave Heller, NewsWorks
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Philadelphia Apartment Market Expands
December 15, 2015
Matt Hudgins, The Wall Street Journal
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Philly's Housing Market Roars Onward, Sale Numbers Highest Since the Recession
November 25, 2015
James Jennings, philly.com
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Giving Up the Affluent Suburbs for City Living
November 11, 2015
Robert Strauss, New York Times
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For Philly House Hunters, 'Kensington is the hot place to be'
October 22, 2015
Bobby Allyn, reporter for WHYY
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Philadelphia Shatters Records for Million-Dollar Home Sales
October 20, 2015
Sharon Lurye, PhillyVoice
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A High For Housing
October 20, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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Report: Data Suggests More Cash Home Purchases in Philadelphia Region
October 07, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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A Vision Taking Shape Along City's Waterfront
October 05, 2015
Harris M. Steinberg, Executive Director, Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation
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New Mortgage-disclosure Changes Take Effect
October 05, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
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On the House: Distressed sales still critical market factor
September 20, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Stemming the loss of Center City office space
September 14, 2015
Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Region - especially Phila. - had a good spring for home sales
August 24, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Listings scarce, home buyers finding
August 13, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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2Q report: Lower vacancy rate, rising rents for region's highest-end apartments
July 28, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, Philadelphia Inquirer
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To the Point
July 27, 2015
by Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer
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Murano success a sign of Market Street West's rise
July 22, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer
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Slowing Gentrification By Building Up
July 15, 2015
Malcolm Burnley, Citified Blog, Philadelphia Magazine
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Allan Domb: From Condo King to Tax Collector?
July 14, 2015
Jared Brey, PlanPhilly
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Report: Philly’s Second Quarter Housing Numbers Highest in a Decade
July 13, 2015
James Jennings, Philadelphia Magazine
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Phila. single-family home prices, sales volume soar in 2Q, data show
July 13, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Some of the worst foreclosure stats are in Phila. metro area
June 18, 2015
by Patricia Madej, Philadelphia Business Journal
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How to fix Philly's massive vacant land problem
June 08, 2015
by Ryan Briggs, Philly.com
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How Jim Kenny Defied Racial Math and Posted the Biggest Mayoral Primary Win in Modern Philly History
May 24, 2015
Patrick Kerkstra, Citified Blog, Philadelphia Magazine
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E. Passyunk a hot property
May 24, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Home sales up, prices down in Phila. suburbs in quarter
May 19, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Schuylkill River Trail Update: Bartram's Mile Design Workshop May 14th
May 12, 2015
Angelly Carrion, Philadelphia Magazine
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Diaz has good record but faces long odds in mayor's race
May 05, 2015
by Julia Terruso, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Public Forum on Creative Placemaking and Reimagining Bartram's Mile
May 04, 2015
by Alex McKechnie, Drexel University
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Town By Town: Fishtown: Hot, hip, affordable alternative to Center City
May 03, 2015
by Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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beautiful bartram's mile kicks off philly's civic commons projects
April 28, 2015
Alaina Mabaso, Flying Kite Media
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Phila. home-sale prices, volume stall in 1st quarter
April 28, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer
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Opinion Piece: Lynne Abraham
April 26, 2015
Lynne Abraham
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On the House: Millennial buyers are few, dependent on Realtors
April 26, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer
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Affordable housing advocates seek tax on flipped properties
April 24, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer
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Next for the Gallery: 'Not Just Another Mall'
April 20, 2015
by Jeff Gammage, Maria Panaritis, and Jacob Adelman, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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How Philadelphia's Fuzzy Racial Math Could Tip the Mayoral Election
April 19, 2015
Patrick Kerkstra, Philadelphia Magazine's Citified Blog
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Jersey Shore real estate becomes less attainable for young, working families
April 12, 2015
Christie Rotondo, Press of Atlantic City
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Center City household income now in the six figures
April 08, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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This Philadelphia government agency means $4 billion to the city's economy, study claims
April 06, 2015
by John George, Senior Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal
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Millennials help build a Phila.-region apartment boom
April 03, 2015
by Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Abraham wants to double the tax abatement in underdeveloped neighborhoods
April 02, 2015
by Jared Brey, Zoning and Development Reporter, PlanPhilly
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Philadelphia's Rising Tide of Apartment Living
March 31, 2015
Brandyn Campbell, Region's Business
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On the House: Gauging Shore's market: 2014 offers mixed signals
March 29, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Philly parklets aim to blur line between street and sidewalk
March 27, 2015
by Brandon Baker, PhillyVoice
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Today's renters are slow to turn into first-time buyers, economists tell builders in A.C.
March 25, 2015
Martin DeAngelis, Staff Writer, The Press of Atlantic City
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Plans to transform Fairmount Park revealed
March 18, 2015
Sue Ann Rybak, Chestnut Hill Local
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Homegrown Middle Class: A Neighborhoods Policy for Philadelphia
March 16, 2015
by John Kromer, Senior Consultant, Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania
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Groundbreaking Thursday for 'ultra-luxury' 500 Walnut condo tower
March 11, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Mall to the Hall
March 08, 2015
Jeff Gammage, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Drexel Snapshot: Abandoned Power Plant Becomes a Classroom for Urban Design
March 03, 2015
Alex McKechnie, News Officer, Drexel University Communications
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Starting Wednesday, a first look at One Riverside's luxury condos
March 03, 2015
Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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a transatlantic collaboration reimagines north philly's lehigh viaduct
March 03, 2015
Alaina Mabaso, Flying Kite
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Living is in the journey, not in the fastest route
March 03, 2015
Susan Richardson, writer, "Human at Work" blog of WHYY's Newsworks
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What should your city do with its waterfront
February 25, 2015
...Pennsylvania cities are abuzz about waterfront revitalization. The many projects raise questions, like who should benefit from riverfront redevelopment? And what's the best way for a city to use vacant or former industrial land? Marielle Segarra of WHYY discusses riverfront redevelopment projects in Pennsylvania.
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Toll Bros reports 1Q profits up by 78 percent
February 24, 2015
Senior research fellow Kevin Gillen comments the Philadelphia region housing market and the relationships to Horsham-based, luxury home builder the Toll Brothers' first quarter rise in profits. - Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Urban Design and Planning Students Reimagine the Delaware River Waterfront
February 12, 2015
A handful of Drexel University's Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design students interested in urban design, coupled with 15 students from Germany's TU Dortmund University, will have the opportunity to generate fresh ideas and create a vision for the future of the Lehigh Viaduct, Delaware Power Station and surrounding Port Richmond area. - Alex McKechnie, DrexelNOW
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A Natural Match: Drexel Research Team Connects Urban Design to Public Health
February 10, 2015
Rachel Ewing, DrexelNOW
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Housing values increase in city's low-income areas
February 07, 2015
Home values are on the rise in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods. Drexel researcher Kevin Gillen said home price appreciation was actually strongest in the city's poorest areas, while being flat or negative in higher-income neighborhoods. - Ayana Jones, The Philadelphia Tribune
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Dranoff to market, sell Residences at Two Liberty Place
February 04, 2015
Hoping for a repeat of the experience at 10 Rittenhouse Square, iStar Financial has handed the remaining 73 condominiums at the Residences at Two Liberty Place to developer Carl Dranoff to market and sell. - Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Drexel Study: Philly's low-income 'hoods growing, increasing in value
February 03, 2015
...And, contrary to the common criticism levied against development and home sales--namely that positive growth only happens in rich neighborhoods--the study says that home price appreciation "was actually strongest in the city's poorest areas, while being flat or negative in its relatively higher-income neighborhoods." - Josh Kruger, PhillyNow.com
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It's spring real estate season: Builders, Realtors look for a boost
February 03, 2015
The Super Bowl is history, marking the start of a new high-stakes season: the spring real estate market. After what many industry insiders considered a disappointing 2014, hopes are high for 2015. - Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Philadelphia Region Single Family Home Prices Fell in Fourth Quarter
January 29, 2015
Residential real estate in the Philadelphia region saw falling prices and modestly rising sales in 2014's fourth quarter, according to an analysis released Thursday by Kevin Gillen of Drexel University and chief economist at Meyers Research. - by Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Philadelphia Single Family Home Prices Tip Upward
January 16, 2015
Higher sales volume and increased prices for single-family homes became more widespread across Philadelphia neighborhoods in the last three months of 2014, according to an analysis of fourth-quarter real estate data obtained from the city recorder of deeds. - Alan J. Heavens, The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Pleasure in the Park
December 09, 2014
Executive Director Harris Steinberg discusses Philadelphia's Fairmount Park from various historical, cultural, and environmental aspects, and makes the case for its continued stewardship and role as Philadelphia's premier park moving into the future. - Harris Steinberg, Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation
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