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5th Square Advocacy @5thsqadvocacy.org · 30/09/2026

On Monday night, more than 500 of you joined us for the urbanist event of the season: CityNerd Live in Philly: The City’s Scorecard. We hosted @nerd4cities.bsky.social Ray Delahanty for a live show discussing what Philly gets right and wrong when it comes to transit, walkability, and affordability.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

On the topic of typos on statues near Philadelphia's Museum of Art the Lincoln Statue by Kelly Drive changes Lincoln's word choice in its quotations. After a quick Google it seems people today have mostly forgotten this fact, but it was reported on in the Inquirer back in the '70s:

A screenshot of a 1971 Inquirer report with the headline "Somebody Goofed Trying
To Remember What Abe Said

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Over two years ago I posted about this exact spot and how horribly dangerous this bridge is. When the bridge was planned neighbors lobbied heavily to make it safer. The city overruled. Now the city has failed to maintain the bare minimum it did install. They have been warned repeatedly for years.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

On page 52 of this official study from over a decade ago it was recommended to close one of the redundant car roads connecting MLK to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge to create a proper pedestrian / bike connection: www.lowermerion.org/home/showpub... This has still not been started:

An screenshot of the report with the following text:

It is suggested that the southern ramp could be converted to pedestrian and bike use only. All vehicles travelling from Greenland Drive/Strawberry Mansion Bridge to MLK Drive could be directed to the northern ramp. Vehicles destined to Center City ramp to travel south. A minor ramp alignment change could be constructed if needed to ease the
right turn movement. Removing all vehicles from the southern ramp would
eliminate the movement from northbound MLK Drive to Greenland Drive/Strawberry Mansion Bridge. This might not have a severe impact. Left turns from northbound MLK Drive are already prohibited during peak hours at the southern ramp
and are prohibited at all times at the northern ramp. Therefore the ramps cannot be used by commuters
travelling northbound
from Center City to neighborhoods east or west of the river. Alternative
routes exist for vehicle traffic.
No volume information was obtained, but the traffic volumes on these ramps appear to be light. If it is determined
that a vehicle connection from northbound MLK Jr. Drive up to the bridge needs to be maintained, the southern ramp could at least be restricted to one- way 'up' (north) vehicle traffic, and half of the ramp
could be dedicated to pedestrian and bike use. At the southern ramp junction with MLK Drive, it would be possible to create a signalized pedestrian/bike crossing of MLK Drive, to complete
the connection to the MLK trail.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A single bridge closing in a park shouldn't result in an 8.1 mile pedestrian / bike detour to cross a river. This is the result of the city & state removing from the park sidewalks, trails, and staircases that previously existed connecting to the alternative Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

An image of the map showing the lengthy detour.

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Blvd Subway @blvdsubway.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Whatever Alternative is chosen, the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway will not be deep. That is a major victory for our advocacy. PennDOT will be coming back soon.

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Wednesday Night Rides @wednightrides.org · 18/08/2026

Aug 19 // P.C. Classic Preview The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back in Philly after a 10-year hiatus; this week we're taking on part of the iconic 14.4-mile race circuit. The elite women's & men's fields will tackle Kelly Drive, the legendary Manayunk Wall + Lemon Hill

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

When Sansom was open to outside dining there was massive support from people & nearby restaurants to keep it that way. When the Inquirer reported on the city bringing cars back only one near business voiced support for cars. That business just left for the suburbs: www.inquirer.com/business/sma...

inquirer.com

Philadelphia shoe retailer Sherman Brothers is moving to the Main Line after 73 years in Center City

The family business opened on Mole Street in 1953, becoming a destination for Philadelphia men in search of loafers, boots, and other high-end shoes.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

It gets me down how many beautiful large gardens there are in the Philly area that are near transit but place their main entrance far from the transit with no sidewalk connections. It feels intentionally classist and like a relic from the past. Morris Arboretum and Stoneleigh are two examples.

Morris Arboretum's main entrance that's clearly designed for cars.

Stoneleigh Garden's main entrance also clearly designed for cars.

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5th Square Advocacy @5thsqadvocacy.org · 24/07/2026

Hurry, we’ve gotta build some more bike lanes here in Philly ASAP

Screenshot of GQ Sports with a photo of LeBron wearing a bike helmet and a headline reading “LeBron James Is a Big Bike Guy”.

Interviewer: In your career, we've seen you biking in Cleveland, and then in Miami. LA's obviously a little trickier. Tell me about where biking fits into your life right now.

LeBron: It's definitely a lot trickier, because it's heavy traffic here, things of that nature. But we ride bikes here a lot. Not as much as I do back home when I'm in Ohio, because we have a lot of bike paths and things like that, which helps. But yeah, biking's still a part of our life here in Los Angeles.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

This is occurring just two blocks from where the abolitionist "Temple of Free Speech" Pennsylvania Hall was built in 1837 only to be burned down 4 days later by a pro-slavery mob. Nearly 200 years later the struggle to freely discuss and oppose slavery & racism continues.

An image of Pennsylvania Hall after it was constructed.

An image of Pennsylvania Hall being destroyed in a fire.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

This Sunday at 8:30 am is the 2 year memorial for Dr. Barbara Friedes who was killed by a driver while biking in Philadelphia: bikeaction.org/events/a-mem...

Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Lots of lightning strikes within a block of Ben Franklin's grave tonight.

A map showing lightning strikes on Independence Mall, at the Arch Street Meeting House, and at other locations near Christ Church Burial Ground.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Some photos from Philly's concert / fireworks saga last night:

Beams of light emanating into the sky from in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art reflecting off of the Schuylkill River.

A man's hand holds onto the fence looking through at the concert stage.

Tired looking people lay and sit on the median of the Ben Franklin Parkway.

Clusters of people look on at the fireworks above the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

It’s 2:23 am in philly. Children are sleeping on the parkway. A continuous stream of defeated people walk away. Whoever is on stage: “Say yeah!!!”

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

The weather right now in Philly offers a great opportunity for the Ben Franklin impersonators to do something bold to really show who is committed to the bit.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

250 years ago Thomas Jefferson recorded the temperature in Philadelphia a few times throughout the day. The high was 76 at 1 PM.

Thomas Jefferson's recording of the temperature on July 4th 1776.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

At midnight by Philly's City Hall a group of teenagers watched my wallet and phone so I could play pickup soccer. Great vibes in the city tonight! A mix of Croatians, Philadelphians, and others were rotating in and out. It wrapped up at ~12:30 when the ball owner had to go.

A photo of people playing pickup soccer by Philadelphia's City Hall.

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Job Itzkowitz @jobforphilly.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

The highest compliment!

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

If Philadelphia adopted the 2027 IBC next year, single-stair would automatically be viable for thousands of small CMX-2/2.5 projects that can fit 4 stories in zoning already, a true game-changer for the Mayor's housing plan

Map of Philadelphia parcels with CMX-2/2.5 zoning

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Reminder that the City of Philadelphia is entirely free to replicate and install the slavery exhibit panels at Independence Hall itself in time for July 4

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pork, cheese, broccoli rabe @garlicbuffalo.gobirds.biz · 24/05/2025

I’M ALL HOPPED UP ON SUGAR AND FRESH FRUIT LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME WOODER ICE RANKINGS

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Governor Josh Shapiro @governor.pa.gov · 30/05/2026

In 2024, when SEPTA riders were threatened with massive fare increases and devastating service cuts, I stepped in and redirected $153M to keep the system running and fares affordable.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Very cool 25 minute mini-documentary on the history of skateboarding in Philly's Love Park and nearby plazas: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifV...

youtube.com

This Old Ledge: Philadelphia

YouTube video by ThrasherMagazine

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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Word on the reef is, shrimp are SO in this season. A crab told me. And bonus? These shirts fund our fall Philly Bug mural series. 3 Murals, 3 Artists, 3 Neighborhoods, All bugs baby. Don't get caught without a crustacean. Tell your friends. Get a shrimp shirt. At SquidFacts.net (pls RT)

A cream colored shirt with a red and blue design featuring 9 crustaceans and a fly. A scuba diving Fly Says a”am I shrimp too?” A pistol shrimp wearing a cowboy hat says “bang bang” a mantis shrimp says KO, the title says a”shrimp city and friends” a hermit crab uses a skull as a shell, a jumbo shrimp is labeled himbo shrimp, and a yeti crab is labeled “snack bacteria cafe”. The fly has an asterisk next to him and underneath the whole design it says *the latest research shows that bugs is actually shrimp”

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

This will not move the needle on traffic congestion. Shapiro's big leadership "wins" in Philadelphia have focused squarely on interstates and parts of the city connected to interstates. Philadelphia's main strength is not that I-95 runs through it, and I'm not sure Shapiro understands that.

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Aside from this being a huge middle finger to SEPTA, this new on-ramp at 7th will also bring tons more traffic right next to SEYAA's baseball fields, endangering kids every day. The first step in the I-95 widening disaster

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

This is an 110+ year full circle moment for NYC. Over a century ago Lawrence Veiller was so disgusted by the density, living conditions, and "evils" in his native NYC that he became a fierce national advocate for laws to artificially discourage multi-family housing across the country.

A screenshot with the following text:

In no other city is the mass of the working population housed as it is in New York, in tall tenement houses, extending up into the air fifty or sixty feet, and stretching for miles in every direction as far as the eye can reach. In no other city are there the same appalling conditions with regard to lack of light and air in the homes of the poor. In no other city is there so great congestion and overcrowding. In no other city do the poor so suffer from excessive rents; in no city are the conditions of city life so complex. Nowhere are the evils of modern life so varied, nowhere are the problems so difficult of solution.
If New York is so abnormal it may well be asked of what benefit to other communities are its problems; what lessons can others learn from New York's experience? New York, cosmopolitan in its population, is equally cosmopolitan in its social problems. Here will be found the problems of all other American cities, sometimes only in the germ, often, however, developed to an extent not dreamt of elsewhere. New York is the "horrible example." It is the startling crystallization in brick and mortar of the potential housing evils of every other American city. It typifies the kind of city that other American cities may develop into under the influence of similar forces, unless timely effort is put forth to prevent such development.

The following text:

The question is, " How are we going to stop it? " I think there is a way; at least, I have tried it and I think it is going to work. In framing our laws to regulate the construction of dwellings of all kinds, do everything possible in our laws to encourage the construction of private dwellings and even two-family dwellings, because the two-family house is the next least objectionable type, and penalize so far as we can in our statute, the multiple dwelling of any kind, whether it is flat, apartment house or tenement house.

It was upon that theory that our new housing law in New York State was drafted. And the easiest and quickest way to penalize the apartment house is not through requiring larger open spaces, because I think that would be un-constitutional, but through the fireproofing requirements.

If we require multiple dwellings to be fireproof, and thus increase the cost of construction; if we require stairs to be fireproofed, even where there are only three families; if we require fire-escapes and a host of other things, all dealing with fire protection, we are on safe grounds, because that can be justified as a legitimate exercise of the police power.

We can show the necessity of these extra precautions where many families live in a dwelling, and at the same time we have made it difficult to build apartment houses. I recommend that method to the conference. In our laws let most of our fire provisions relate solely to multiple dwellings, and allow our private houses and two-family houses to be built with almost no fire protection whatever.

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

A glimpse of Trolley Mod has arrived with the Island Ave improvement project, three years in the making

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

You love to see it!

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

People go to parks to get away from cars. Unfortunately to go between Philly's West Fairmount Park and Center City requires traversing the narrow & busy Lansdowne Drive underneath highway ramps. This bottlenecks park access. A few thoughts on low-impact ways to improve this situation:

A photo of cyclists needing to navigate traffic on Lansdowne because multiple cars are parked in the bike lane, perhaps after a minor crash. People walk on the narrow sidewalk on the left.

A Google Maps route showing the relevant stretch of Lansdowne.

A group of runners and cyclists are squeezed onto the narrow sidewalk adjacent to Lansdowne Drive.

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Carly Goodman @carlygoodman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Philly, the best

But just as important is this: Philadelphia seems to be standing in opposition to the political and cultural forces of the moment, which, while fraught, is a very, very good thing.
For instance, at a time when immigration is under attack and immigrants are feeling terrorized, people who've come here from other countries - like, say, the Dominican Republic - are a larger and more vital part of Philly than they've been in years. Indeed, the percentage of Philadelphians who are foreign-born is now 16 percent, the highest it's been since the 1940s.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Fairmount Park is unsafe and unpleasant to get around when walking or biking. The city could pilot a small improvement: close this highly redundant stretch of Avenue of the Republic to cars. It'd reduce through-traffic by the children's museum and create a great space for kids to play & bike.

A map with a highlighted stretch of road in front of Philadelphia's Memorial Hall children's museum.

An AI generated image of a family riding bikes on the road, an older couple walking on it, and kids drawing chalk art on it.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

"On sunny weekends, especially along Boathouse Row, this area of the park overflows with joggers, bikers, and strollers all jostling and dodging each other along a narrow pathway. At the same time, the wide, winding drives are open to cars that could just as easily be using the Schuylkill Expy."

Newspaper screenshot with the following text:

the park overflows with joggers, bikers and strollers, all jostling and dodging each other along a narrow walkway. At the same time, the wide, winding drives are open to cars that could just as easily
be using the Schulkill Expressway. Philadelphians are so accustomed to this priority treatment of automobiles in the park that few think twice about it. But imagine how much more pleasant, hou much more like a park, Fairmount Park would seem if the drives were closed on summer and fall weekends; park users could run, walk and ride in safety, breathing fumeless air. They could even approach Frederic Remington's famous
sculpture,
"The Cowboy," on East River Drive without taking their
lives in their hands.
NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

All of Fairmount Park has accumulated significant connectivity issues. Let's look at another case. The Belmont Plateau is one of the best views of the city, a natural destination! Walking to it from the south you have 2 options: a windy route along a quieter road or more direct along a major road.

A Google Maps image showing the 2 routes.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Philadelphia's Fairmount Park was once core to the city's identity but now has many functional issues. The greatest issue is the degradation of the ability to safely & easily walk around the park. By looking at old maps and photos we can map where East Fairmount lost river trail connections:

A map showing the location of removed and surviving locations for pedestrian crossings along the Schuylkill River Trail in Fairmount.

3 pedestrian crossings survive, down from at least 9 in the past.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Interesting stock image choice as the header for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's page on "Walking":

An image of a web page with a stock image of a car pulled over a crosswalk and another pickup truck too close to the crosswalk. Nobody walking is pictured.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

During the 1890s there was a few year period in Philadelphia where bicycles were exceptionally popular, before the rise of the automobile. Here is an 1898 photo of cyclists riding on Kelly Drive, about 1 year before pro-automobile protestors successfully lobbied to be allowed to drive on the road.

A handful bicyclists riding along a dirt road adjacent to the Schuylkill.

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

This Paul Levy-led group should take over the south block of Headhouse Square from the flailing South St Headhouse District and replace the parking with an exact replica

Aerial view of 2nd St "Headhouse" plaza that is mostly a parking lot with useless pergolas

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

If the goal is to "attract people to the area" why not simply bring back the popular "Dining Under the Shambles" program that was very popular and backed by nearby businesses? There's a lovely Belgian brick street there that's underused. Why not make it a plaza as has been shown to work before?

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

In an age of increasing AI slop it's very cool to see Philly's Center City District commission a local artist to make such cool art for their annual report cover:

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Daniel Herriges @dpherriges.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

This is an incredible document. So many rabbit holes to go down here.

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Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 26/04/2026

During Philly Jazz Month, meet the many jazz greats who have called Philadelphia home.

inquirer.com

A Who’s Who of Philly Jazz Greats

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

It seems like a missed opportunity that there are virtually no hotels along the PATCO line connecting to Philly. Contrast this with Montreal which has the new REM line with similar spacing from downtown with new hotels along its route.

A Google Maps image showing the absence of hotels along the PATCO line which is shown in red.

A Google Maps image showing multiple hotels along the route of Montreal's REM line.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

On Philly's narrowest streets the city could really benefit from formalizing a sidewalk-less shared street design à la the Netherlands or Japan. Examples like this image show how some streets have practically performative sidewalks that check some regulatory boxes but don't help much:

A street corner with a sidewalk too narrow for a wheelchair. It still has a curb ramp but it would be impossible for a wheelchair user to actually use the sidewalk.

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Paul Spencer @suchprotech.com · 14/04/2026

I joined the Spruce bike lane cleanup a few weeks ago and I can’t even ride a bike. It’s just such an obvious way to give back to your community. We’re lucky to have a group like them organizing.

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Civic Grit @civicgrit.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I'm a big fan of Philly Bike Action's approach to street safety advocacy. They use kindness & fun as a tool, hosting 'parties' with music or giving out free soft pretzels. At the same time they're unafraid to push hard for timely actionable change. billypenn.com/2026/04/14/p...

billypenn.com

Philly Bike Action shows what concrete protection could look like on Spruce and Pine

Philly Bike Action’s event aims to clear up misconceptions about the size of the potential concrete barriers along the popular Center City bikeways.

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Councilmember Jamie Gauthier @councilmemberjg.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

It's common sense to allow Philadelphians to build generational wealth and age in place by adding bonus units (ADUs). This is one way we can prevent displacement and create affordable housing in one go. share.inquirer.com/geX7Mb

share.inquirer.com

From bike lanes to zoning codes, the needs of the few sometimes outweigh the common good | Shackamaxon

Plus: Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. says the quiet part out loud as he faces an election challenge.

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