Media Coverage

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?

$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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Philadelphia chapter of the Building Industry Association backs legislative adjustments that would gradually reduce the 100% property tax break in the final years of the decade-long program, BIA President Jim Maransky said.

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.

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.

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.

Amid a construction (and demolition) boom, Philly announces steps to beef up historic preservation

April 04, 2019

By: Caitlin McCabe

Strongest growth in housing production in Center City Philly area since 2002, new report finds

February 19, 2019

by Alfred Lubrano

Opportunity Zones: Can a tax break for rich people really help poor people?

January 14, 2019

By: Jared Bernstein

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

Finding a Consensus around Historic Preservation in Philadelphia

December 13, 2018

By: Jared Brey

After 18-month study, Mayor Kenney's preservation task force offers a few (modest) proposals

December 13, 2018

By: Inga Saffron

Demolition 'crisis' gets taskforce's attention

December 13, 2018

By: Jake Blumgart

Philly region's housing market in 2019" The slowdown will continue, experts say

November 23, 2018

By: Caitlin McCabe

New map shows Philly renter spike sharper than other big cities

October 16, 2018

By: Jake Blumgart

Missing Middle Housing Needs to Take Into Account Changing Household Demographics

October 15, 2018

By: Steve Lubetkin

Philly land prices plummet,as weakening housing market tightens purse strings

October 09, 2018

By: Jacob Adelman

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.

Is Philly's housing market still hot? As buyers grow nervous and tired, home prices are slowing

August 02, 2018

By: Caitlin McCabe

The Abatement Debate

July 26, 2018

By: Kevin C Gillen

Old homes, high poverty make Philadelphia housing less than affordable for some

July 25, 2018

By: Anna Kramer

Preservation Task Force Gears Up For Final Report

July 20, 2018

By: Starr Herr-Cardillo

Historic preservation task force notes other cities' policies as it charts its own course

July 19, 2018

By: Jake Blumgart

Philadelphias condo boom lures hipsters and baby boomers

June 28, 2018

Sale of PPA's 8th & Chestnut lot hints at future development

June 19, 2018

By: Alison Burdo

As Philadelphia considers scrapping tax abatement, new report provides debate fodder for both sides

June 18, 2018

By: Jim Saska

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

City Council tweaks bill requiring developers to provide more parking in Philly neighborhoods

May 23, 2018

Jake Blumgart

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.

An electronic billboard in Fairmount Park: Is nothing sacred?

May 17, 2018

Harris Steinberg

A look at whether Philadelphia's 10-year tax abatement should continue

May 03, 2018

Joel Naroff

Philadelphia's Proposed One Percent Construction Tax/Impact Fee: Good Compromise or a Fool's Bargain?

May 03, 2018

Should City Council control Philly property values? New bill says yes.

May 01, 2018

Evan Bowen-Gaddy

Philly construction tax draws mixed reactions from housing analysts

April 26, 2018

By: Ryan Briggs

How rising tides and housing prices impact the Jersey Shore

April 26, 2018

Caroline Bartholomew

Can 'Localism' Restore Sanity to U.S. Politics?

April 11, 2018

By Gracy Olmstead

Riverfronts bringing new life and energy to Philadelphia

March 22, 2018

by The Inquirer Editorial Board

Time for Philly to study how and who it taxes

March 14, 2018

Jose F Mereno

What's working-and what's not-with Philadelphia historic preservation

March 14, 2018

Caitlin McCabe

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

Richard Florida Call For Truce in Amazon HQ2 Bidding War

January 31, 2018

Sandy Smith

Report: Philly's housing inventory dipped to all-time low at end of 2017

January 23, 2018

Mellssa Romero

6 inspiring city innovations from around the world- including one from Philly

January 19, 2018

Harris Steinberg

THREE WAYS TO REFORM THE 10-YEAR TAX ABATEMENT

January 12, 2018

Philly ER doctor on opioid epidemic: I know the frustration of getting someone into recovery

January 12, 2018

Dr. Priya Mammen

Philadelphia Hopes to Harmonize Historic Preservation

December 26, 2017

By Jared Brey

What housing shortage? In Philly suburbs, homes are available- just not the kind buyers want

December 08, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, STAFF WRITER

"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

Report: Philly's suburban housing market remains sluggish

December 04, 2017

Mellssa Romero

70 high-end townhouses planned for Manayunk's long-vacant Venice Island

November 29, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

Not built in a day: One of PlanPhilly's creators reflects on a decade of dedicated built-environmnet coverage

November 27, 2017

Michael Greenle

Drexel's Urban Innovation Fellows are tackling workforce development and public health

November 17, 2017

Albert Hong

As Construction Booms, Philadelphia Seeks to Preserve Its Past

November 14, 2017

Jon Hurdle

Philadelphia Archdiocese moves forward with vision to redevelop cathedral campus near Logan Square

October 31, 2017

Caitlin McCabe

The Citizen Recommends: Urban Innovation in the Age of Trump

October 27, 2017

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

Drexel pushes next generation of urban innovation

October 26, 2017

Harris Steinberg

Report: Philly's housing market is still hot, but relief may be on the way

October 25, 2017

Melissa Romero

"Quality of Life" is Philadelphia's biggest selling point. Can it survive an Amazonian invasion?

October 23, 2017

Jim Saska

Not exactly prime: Philly's taxing business environment doesn't help odds of landing Amazon's HQ2

October 17, 2017

Jim Saksa

In renters' market, Philly landlords cut prices and offer enticements to woo tenants

October 16, 2017

Bobby Allyn

What Philly would need to give up to win Amazon

October 10, 2017

Mark Dent

From gun violence to opioids; if you want a job done, ask a busy city | Editorial

October 02, 2017

Inquirer Editorial Board

The promise and peril of Cheltenham Race and education in a changing suburban school district

September 28, 2017

Beware, Philadelphia: Amazon could drive up housing prices

September 19, 2017

Caitlin McCabe

How I-95 broke Philly's waterfront (and what the city is doing to fix it)

September 19, 2017

Jared Brey

Task force focuses first on state of preservation in Philly

September 18, 2017

Ashley Hahn

After a century, Philadelphia struggles to figure out what the Parkway should be

September 07, 2017

Inga Saffron, Architect Critic

Can Workforce Housing Really Happen?

August 26, 2017

Sandy Smith

Market shift pitches Dranoff toward condos on South Broad corner

August 24, 2017

Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer

Want city-owned land? It might already be reserved for someone else

August 21, 2017

Claudia Vargas

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

Study: Second quarter best for Philadelphia suburban housing market since 2012

August 10, 2017

Philadelphia Business Journal Staff

The Untapped Wealth of American Cities

August 06, 2017

Bruce Katz/ Jeremy Nowak

Meet the McMansion for Millennials

August 05, 2017

Sandy Smith

Suburbs boast best real estate market since recession, but don't get too excited yet

August 05, 2017

Caitline McCabe, Staff Writer

Lawmakers must have the courage to oppose concealed-carry proposal

July 31, 2017

Charles Ramsey

Has Philly hit peak pop-up? Vacant lots, valet parking lanes - and, now, The Median

July 27, 2017

Samantha Melamed, staff writer

As Philadelphia's housing market booms, economists warn the city may be in a bubble-or something worse

July 25, 2017

Jim Saksa

Delaware River redevelopment starts with highway ramp demolition

July 25, 2017

Inga Saffron

New historic preservation task force sets about ensuring the past stays present as city grows

July 24, 2017

Ashley Hahn

Report: Philly's housing inventory has hit an all-time low

July 20, 2017

Melissa Romero

Philly's next hot neighborhoods: They might be farther out than you think

July 20, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

View from the Top: Two new luxury buildings welcome the wealthy-...

June 08, 2017

Jake Blumgart

Avoid another banking error

June 02, 2017

As Philly real estate booms, suburbs left in dust

May 31, 2017

Andrew Parent, Philly Voice Contributor

Despite vibrancy in Philly's suburbs, home values still struggle

May 28, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

Squilla calls increased Delaware waterfront height limit 'progressive'-waterfront...

May 19, 2017

Jake Blumgart

On the House: It's the most profitable time to sell your home

May 18, 2017

Caitlin McCabe

Report Phillys home prices jumped 5 percent in early 2017

May 09, 2017

Dispelling common myths about Philadelphia's 10-year tax abatement

May 08, 2017

Leo Addimando and Kevin Gillen, Guest Columnists

Philadelphia's market is red-hot economist says, but not necessarily equal for all

May 02, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

Balancing Philadelphia's past, future

April 26, 2017

The Daily News Editorial Board

Philly has a new historic preservation task force

April 21, 2017

Melissa Romero, Curbed

NewsWorks Tonight April 20, 2017 - Full Show

April 20, 2017

Tom MacDonald, NewsWorks Staff

Task Force to Revise City Preservation Policy

April 20, 2017

Sandy Smith, Philly Mag

Preserving History: City Launches Historic Preservation Task Force

April 20, 2017

Max Bennett, Patch Staff

Kenney launches Historic Preservation Task Force

April 20, 2017

Ashley Hahn, PlanPhilly

Task Force to Reassess Philadelphia's Historic Preservation

April 20, 2017

CBS Philly

Kenney aiming to keep preservation pledges with task force on historic protections

April 19, 2017

Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer

Tax Abatement Huge Shot in Arm for City, Study Finds

April 10, 2017

Sandy Smith

Brewerytown, set to be Philly's next hot neighborhood, experiences growing pains

April 07, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

The state of Philly's housing market in, five charts

April 07, 2017

Melissa Romero

Commentary: Numbers show that tax abatements benefit city

April 04, 2017

James Maransky and Kevin Gillen

No property taxes, no problem: Study finds controversial abatement has been positive for Philly

March 23, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

Is this the holy grail project that could jump-start revitalization of North Philly?

March 18, 2017

Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer

Millionaires wave goodbye to the mansion as the luxury market booms in Philly

March 17, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

Homebuyers Face Bidding Wars on Scarcer-Than-Ever U.S. Listings

March 17, 2017

Prashant Gopal, Bloomberg Staff Writer

As Philly's housing market forges ahead, suburban prices still limp along

March 03, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

Philadelphia Has a New Plan for Its 43,000 Vacant Lots

February 27, 2017

Sandy Smith, Next City

Philly's housing market cooled at 2016's end. A blip or a trend in the making?

February 13, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

To buy or to rent? That is the question

February 10, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

When tax abatements expire, property values don't suffer, study shows

January 16, 2017

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer

Philly rents rising quickly

January 13, 2017

Tom Macdonald, Staff Writer

Philadelphia rents rose second-fastest in the nation in 2016, new report says

January 11, 2017

Caitlin McCabe, Real Estate Columnist

Suggestions for saving Philly's heritage while guiding its future

January 08, 2017

Alan J. Heavens, Staff Writer

Jersey Shore Politics: This Is What Happens When No One's Looking

January 07, 2017

David Gambacorta, Staff Writer

The Boyer Report at 20: An Appreciation

January 05, 2017

Harris M. Steinberg, FAIA

As rental prices soar, Philadelphia loses one-fifth of affordable housing

December 22, 2016

Caitlin McCabe, Staff Writer

A workforce-housing effort breaks ground at last

December 11, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Philly.com Real Estate Writer

Commentary: Pipelines safely, efficiently transport oil and gas

November 25, 2016

Kevin C. Gillen, Senior Research Fellow, Lindy Institute

The housing cycle, it goes round and round

November 06, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Staff Writer

How about a forward-looking plan for preserving the past?

October 23, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Staff Writer

Developers Are Still Ignoring Philly's Vision for the Waterfront

September 27, 2016

Jared Brey, Philadelphia Magazine

Historic Preservation in Philly Needs A Truce - and Then a Plan

September 26, 2016

Tony West, Philadelphia Public Record

Where to Go From the Anger in Charlotte

September 24, 2016

Charles H. Ramsey, New York Times -- Opinion

The rising cost of housing in Philadelphia [PDF for non-subscribers]

September 01, 2016

Natalie Kostelni, Reporter

The rising cost of housing in Philadelphia

September 01, 2016

Natalie Kostelni, Reporter

Report: Home values in Philly suburbs rose 7 percent in second quarter

August 29, 2016

Melissa Romero, Curbed Philadelphia

U.S. sales of new homes near nine-year high in July

August 24, 2016

Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer

Toll Bros. seeks to build 16-story residential building on Jewelers Row

August 12, 2016

Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer

Philly's Ground Game

August 12, 2016

Philadelphia Daily News, Editorial

Philly home prices reach all-time high

August 10, 2016

Jon Geeting, PlanPhilly

Rising home prices, quick sales - Philly's in a sellers' market

August 10, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer

Report: Philly is officially a seller's market with house prices at all-time high

August 08, 2016

Melissa Romero, Curbed Philadelphia

For More U.S. Cities, Downtown is a Center of Economic Strength

August 05, 2016

Scott Calvert, Wall Street Journal

What drives city development: A "chicken-egg" examination

July 24, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer

Saving for down payment? Give up posh coffee

July 12, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer

Busting the myth of the slow summer real estate market

July 11, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

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

Prices surging for Philly home sales

May 17, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

Philly home prices hit a post-Recession high

May 16, 2016

Jon Geeting, PlanPhilly

Economist: Philadelphia housing prices reach record levels

May 16, 2016

Jerry Gaul, PhillyVoice Staff

Philly House Values Shoot Past Pre-Recession Levels

May 16, 2016

Sandy Smith, Phillymag.com

A 'positive, but' outlook for N.J. economy, housing

May 01, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

A real estate reach stretching far beyond Philly's borders

April 26, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

At Home in Philadelphia's Center City

April 11, 2016

Bendix Anderson, UrbanLand, The Magazine of the Urban Land Institute

Alan Greenberger chairs newly appointed Art Commission

April 06, 2016

Jared Brey, PlanPhilly

Building boom continues to reverberate northeast of Center City

March 28, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

RealtyTrac: Philly zip codes tops for hipster home flipping

March 12, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

Spaces We Love | Race Street Pier

March 08, 2016

Harris Steinberg, Executive Director of the Lindy Institute of Urban Innovation

What's driving Philly's rising land values?

March 04, 2016

Jon Geeting, Engagement Editor, Plan Philly

Drexel outlines ambitious plans to build business-residential enclave

March 02, 2016

Jacob Adelman, Inquirer Staff Writer

Drexel and Brandywine Realty Trust Partner on "Schuylkill Yards" Innovation Development

March 02, 2016

Niki Gianakaris, DrexelNow

Assessing ways to establish the value of Philadelphia's vacant land

February 25, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

Ex-Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger talks Philly Development Boom, New Drexel Gig

February 18, 2016

Melissa Romero, Curbed Philadelphia

Blatstein plan for old Foxwoods tract includes gas station, strip mall

February 04, 2016

Jacob Adelman, Inquirer Staff Writer

Brickstone Cos. plans still more apartments for Market East

January 28, 2016

Jacob Adelman, staff writer, Philly.com

On the House: Foreclosures at lowest level in a decade

January 24, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

Aiming to build a better city, block by block

January 17, 2016

Mike Newall, Inquirer Columnist

On the house: Dreaming of a home, but rents tell a harder truth

January 17, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

Ramsey gets part-time gig at Drexel

January 14, 2016

Susan Snyder, Philly.com

On the House: Fed's rate increase will have little effect on the market

January 03, 2016

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

What will rise in interest rate mean for Philadelphia housing market?

December 16, 2015

Dave Heller, NewsWorks

Philadelphia Apartment Market Expands

December 15, 2015

Matt Hudgins, The Wall Street Journal

Philly's Housing Market Roars Onward, Sale Numbers Highest Since the Recession

November 25, 2015

James Jennings, philly.com

Giving Up the Affluent Suburbs for City Living

November 11, 2015

Robert Strauss, New York Times

For Philly House Hunters, 'Kensington is the hot place to be'

October 22, 2015

Bobby Allyn, reporter for WHYY

Philadelphia Shatters Records for Million-Dollar Home Sales

October 20, 2015

Sharon Lurye, PhillyVoice

A High For Housing

October 20, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

Report: Data Suggests More Cash Home Purchases in Philadelphia Region

October 07, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

A Vision Taking Shape Along City's Waterfront

October 05, 2015

Harris M. Steinberg, Executive Director, Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation

New Mortgage-disclosure Changes Take Effect

October 05, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist

On the House: Distressed sales still critical market factor

September 20, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Stemming the loss of Center City office space

September 14, 2015

Jacob Adelman, Staff Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Region - especially Phila. - had a good spring for home sales

August 24, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Listings scarce, home buyers finding

August 13, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer

2Q report: Lower vacancy rate, rising rents for region's highest-end apartments

July 28, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, Philadelphia Inquirer

To the Point

July 27, 2015

by Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer

Murano success a sign of Market Street West's rise

July 22, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer

Slowing Gentrification By Building Up

July 15, 2015

Malcolm Burnley, Citified Blog, Philadelphia Magazine

Allan Domb: From Condo King to Tax Collector?

July 14, 2015

Jared Brey, PlanPhilly

Report: Philly’s Second Quarter Housing Numbers Highest in a Decade

July 13, 2015

James Jennings, Philadelphia Magazine

Phila. single-family home prices, sales volume soar in 2Q, data show

July 13, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Some of the worst foreclosure stats are in Phila. metro area

June 18, 2015

by Patricia Madej, Philadelphia Business Journal

How to fix Philly's massive vacant land problem

June 08, 2015

by Ryan Briggs, Philly.com

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

E. Passyunk a hot property

May 24, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Home sales up, prices down in Phila. suburbs in quarter

May 19, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Schuylkill River Trail Update: Bartram's Mile Design Workshop May 14th

May 12, 2015

Angelly Carrion, Philadelphia Magazine

Diaz has good record but faces long odds in mayor's race

May 05, 2015

by Julia Terruso, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Public Forum on Creative Placemaking and Reimagining Bartram's Mile

May 04, 2015

by Alex McKechnie, Drexel University

Town By Town: Fishtown: Hot, hip, affordable alternative to Center City

May 03, 2015

by Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

beautiful bartram's mile kicks off philly's civic commons projects

April 28, 2015

Alaina Mabaso, Flying Kite Media

Phila. home-sale prices, volume stall in 1st quarter

April 28, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer

Opinion Piece: Lynne Abraham

April 26, 2015

Lynne Abraham

On the House: Millennial buyers are few, dependent on Realtors

April 26, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer

Affordable housing advocates seek tax on flipped properties

April 24, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer

Next for the Gallery: 'Not Just Another Mall'

April 20, 2015

by Jeff Gammage, Maria Panaritis, and Jacob Adelman, The Philadelphia Inquirer

How Philadelphia's Fuzzy Racial Math Could Tip the Mayoral Election

April 19, 2015

Patrick Kerkstra, Philadelphia Magazine's Citified Blog

Jersey Shore real estate becomes less attainable for young, working families

April 12, 2015

Christie Rotondo, Press of Atlantic City

Center City household income now in the six figures

April 08, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

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

Millennials help build a Phila.-region apartment boom

April 03, 2015

by Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Abraham wants to double the tax abatement in underdeveloped neighborhoods

April 02, 2015

by Jared Brey, Zoning and Development Reporter, PlanPhilly

Philadelphia's Rising Tide of Apartment Living

March 31, 2015

Brandyn Campbell, Region's Business

On the House: Gauging Shore's market: 2014 offers mixed signals

March 29, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly parklets aim to blur line between street and sidewalk

March 27, 2015

by Brandon Baker, PhillyVoice

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

Plans to transform Fairmount Park revealed

March 18, 2015

Sue Ann Rybak, Chestnut Hill Local

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

Groundbreaking Thursday for 'ultra-luxury' 500 Walnut condo tower

March 11, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Mall to the Hall

March 08, 2015

Jeff Gammage, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Drexel Snapshot: Abandoned Power Plant Becomes a Classroom for Urban Design

March 03, 2015

Alex McKechnie, News Officer, Drexel University Communications

Starting Wednesday, a first look at One Riverside's luxury condos

March 03, 2015

Alan J. Heavens, Real Estate Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

a transatlantic collaboration reimagines north philly's lehigh viaduct

March 03, 2015

Alaina Mabaso, Flying Kite

Living is in the journey, not in the fastest route

March 03, 2015

Susan Richardson, writer, "Human at Work" blog of WHYY's Newsworks

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.

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

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

A Natural Match: Drexel Research Team Connects Urban Design to Public Health

February 10, 2015

Rachel Ewing, DrexelNOW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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