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Inga Saffron

@ingasaffron.bsky.social
1.4K followers 192 following 209 posts

Pulitzer Prize-winning Arch. Critic phillyinquirer & author “Becoming Philadelphia”, 20 years of columns, from rutgersupress Lotsa buildings on IG.

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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
There’s an important new cultural building in town and once again they forgot the door. Read my review of the Phadelphia Ballet’s new home on North Broad.https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/ballet-broad-street-venue-dance-20260913.html
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Urbanists talk a lot about reducing car use and increasing bike and transit use, but they rarely tell you how to make that work in your life. So I figured it was time for an easy step-by-step guide on how to give up your car. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
How to give up your car (sometimes), save money, and save the planet
It’s a big life change, so take things one step at a time.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
It’s a lovely summer day in Philadelphia, my windows are open and a pick-up truck has been running its engine for the last 45 minutes. Can anything be done to stop this? It’s becoming almost a daily occurrence.
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The Madness Of No Kings George @gmnorth.com · 26/07/2026
This hits close to home. I lived in Philly 1982-2006. I knew William Way, the Center's namesake. I was there at the Center's opening. I even remember the building's firmer life as the Engineer's Club. The building was never perfect, but its legacy is unmistakable.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
What would Philly’s Gayborhood be without William Way? The decision to demolish the center was made abruptly without consulting those who consider it their beloved third place and would destroy an LGBTQ landmark. My column looks at what’s at stake for Philadelphia. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
William Way center’s proposed demolition would erase an important Philly landmark
What’s the Gayborhood without the William Way LGBT Community Center’s historic home?
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
‘Bout time New Jersey got its own rock museum. @cookfox did the design. My piece on what it means: www.inquirer.com/columnists/b...
inquirer.com
The new Bruce Springsteen museum is a giant scrapbook that validates New Jersey’s role as a music incubator
It’s the latest pilgrimage site on New Jersey’s rock-and-roll trail.
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Thanks @pasenatorsaval.com and @ingasaffron.bsky.social for joining us at our LIFE AFTER CARS live show in Philadelphia! And thank you @5thsqadvocacy.org and @bikeaction.org for hosting us. And thanks to everyone who came to the show. Philly was our 30th city since we kicked things off in October!
From left to right, Doug Gordon, Nikil Saval, Sarah Goodyear, and Inga Saffron.
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apps4philly.bsky.social @apps4philly.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
www.inquirer.com/real-estate/... @ingasaffron.bsky.social
inquirer.com
Meet the architect who’s trying to revive Market East with retail pop-ups
This summer’s experiment could help Philadelphia develop a strategy to counter the retail apocalypse.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This is not cute. It undercuts @amtrak financially and pushes up prices for regular travelers. Manipulating fares should be a crime. www.inquirer.com/sixers/amtra...
inquirer.com
A Sixers fan is taking extreme measures to keep Knicks fans from Philly — by trying to mess with Amtrak’s pricing model
A fan from Fishtown cannot stomach the notion of an orange and blue takeover in South Philly.
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Up next on the LIFE AFTER CARS book tour: Philadelphia! We'll be there for a big show on Thursday, May 14th with @5thsqadvocacy.org @bikeaction.org @ingasaffron.bsky.social @pasenatorsaval.com. It should be a blast, as one would expect in Philly! Get tickets: 5thsq.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/ne...
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
The first experiments to bring neighborhood-style retail to Market East are starting this week. Can they change the way we think about this struggling corridor and help transition it to residential?Today’s column:
inquirer.com
Meet the architect who’s trying to revive Market East with retail pop-ups
This summer’s experiment could help Philadelphia develop a strategy to counter the retail apocalypse.
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lawliberg @lawliberg.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone?
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Beachrave @beachrave.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Lessons in transit-oriented communities for #Cleveland and #Akron. Cleveland has great rail it's barely using. bsky.app/profile/beac...
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Unlike other cities squeezed by high housing costs, Philly has plenty of land for construction, even in its transit-rich downtown. I recently counted two dozen surface parking lots, many 70 years old. Here’s some ideas to put them into productive use. www.inquirer.com/columnists/c...
inquirer.com
Philadelphia needs more housing. So why does Center City still have so many parking lots?
More than two dozen sites continue to be used for public parking in Center City, one of Philadelphia’s most desirable residential areas. Those lots are a valuable, untapped resource.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
As much as I hate to lose neighborhood schools, @PhillyInquirer Paul Davies’ column pushing back against the idea that all Philly’s underused school buildings can be kept open is really smart. www.inquirer.com/opinion/phil...
inquirer.com
Objections to the public school closure plan are plentiful. Viable alternatives? Not so much. | Paul Davies
School Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. acknowledges criticism of his plan to close 18 school buildings. But he argues it does “the greatest good for the greatest number” of students.
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Edward Russell @byerussell.com · 12/03/2026
Solari, or split flap, boards, in the words of @ingasaffron.bsky.social, are the "physical manifestation of motion. You are traveling even before you’ve left the station." open.substack.com/pub/byerusse...
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
The block where the William Way center is located is a mostly intact stretch of Civil War-era buildings. Now that the Washington Square West Historic District has been overturned, there will be no design oversight for what gets built in its place.  www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
William Way will demolish its historic LGBT Community Center and construct a building with affordable apartments
Plans have become clear after months of confusion over the building's future.
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The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Philadelphia! Pre-sale tickets are now on sale for our LIFE AFTER CARS live show on May 14, featuring moderator @ingasaffron.bsky.social & guest @councilmemberjg.bsky.social. Become a Patreon member or support @bikeaction.org & @5thsqadvocacy.org for presale access. www.patreon.com/posts/152168...
Graphic that says Life After Cars Book event with Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon. May 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Resurrection Philadelphia 17th & Samson Streets. Hosted by Philly Bike Action, 5th Square Advocacy and Gold Tier Sponsor Stuart Leon Bicycle Crash Law. Includes pictures of Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear, Inga Saffron, and Jamie R. Gauthier.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Historic preservation is not the villain! My column (which I wrote before yesterday’s devastating news that a judge had overturned the WSW historic District) shows how we can preserve our heritage and still make sure everyone has housing. www.inquirer.com/columnists/h...
inquirer.com
Historic preservation isn’t the villain in the debate over housing affordability
By practicing ‘gentle density,’ these architects create more housing for less money, using fewer natural resources.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
What a tragedy to lose the @curbed digital archives. We saved hundreds of years of newspaper archives. We need to value and preserve our digital production, too, especially in a time of AI and so much disinformation. www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...
archpaper.com
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Alexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Shakes fist at sky (aka Vox Media): "thousands of now-historic regional urbanism stories are not readable, linkable, and searchable." (They haven't given me my clips yet either) www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...
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Brett5355 @brett5355.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
This. 👇
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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
The common denominator in all these privatization moves, including FDR Park is Kathryn Ott Lovell. I understand our Mayors and Council have continuously underfunded Parks & Rec, but these measly revenues ($200K/yr for Water Works!!) are not worth the loss in access and just lower support for funding
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Tyler Green @tylergreenbooks.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
1/ This museum and its leadership are a laughingstock. 2/ This "old movie prop" is not art, but the embarrassing director and curatorial leadership of the PMA, which did not object, don't seem to know that. Big, big problem.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
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Propriety @proprietous.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Also is Stallone really who we should be valorizing at this moment? It all feels rather pathetic, like we can't imagine Philadelphia beyond a pop culture reference from the 70s. Imagine if Boston moved the Cheers bar to the middle of the Public Garden! We'd rightly call them pathetic.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Selling Rocky merch from a shipping container. The takeover of the Fairmont Water Works. And now the elevation of the Rocky statue to a prime perch overlooking the Parkway. Today’s column looks at Philly’s zeal to monetize the art museum’s landscaped grounds. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Yo, Philly! There’s no need to move the Rocky statue
Relocating the statue to the top of the museum steps is part of the creeping privatization of the Art Museum grounds.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
The best thing about this viral spat between a conservative influencer and a WHYY intern is that it happened on a SEPTA bus. In what other city could that happen! whyy.org/articles/sep...
whyy.org
Altercation on bus with conservative influencer and former WHYY intern goes viral
The two participants, including a former WHYY intern, in the chaotic scene knew each other during their time at Community College of Philadelphia. Elon Musk chimed in on X.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
How insane does a bill have to be for Philly’s City Council not to vote on lockstep? Where does Jay Young think those commercial office tenants are coming from? www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
City Council bill would ban housing from former Hahnemann University Hospital area
Councilmember Jeffrey Young said the goal is commercial preservation and creating jobs in that part of his district.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Consider the arch. And how it’s reappearing in new buildings all over Philly and beyond. My latest architecture column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Grids are out, brick is back, and Philadelphia architects have rediscovered the arch
The urge for the curve extends to interior design, furniture and restaurants.
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Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Woke is over
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
1) A bit of backstory on @jakeblumgart story aboutCoucilman Squilla’s latest developer pandering to make historic teardowns easier. This is the same pol who stopped Alterra from building apartments to protect the Society Hill Acme site. So what changed? www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Good government fix or a demolition derby? Historic preservation bill is provoking debate in Philly.
Supporters say the bill gives more notice and power to property owners. Opponents say it will damage the city's heritage.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
A W. Philly apartment building was destroyed in a suspected arson right after its tenants were evicted and the building sold to shell company. What is this, the ‘70s? Great reporting by Ryan Briggs and William Bender. www.inquirer.com/news/phil-pu...
inquirer.com
Landlord Phil Pulley transferred ownership of West Philly apartments days before suspected arson, records show
Property records show the notorious landlord signed a deed transfer two days before the June 2025 fire. The new owners are now demolishing the building.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
This feels like the Sixers arena debacle all over again. Via @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Comcast promises to ‘turbocharge’ East Market revitalization efforts championed by Mayor Parker
The mayor unveiled a list of 60 people who will sit on her Market East advisory committee.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Fixing Market East should not be this hard, Philadelphia. Some thoughts on the latest mess. Gift link! share.inquirer.com/GQi8Wo
share.inquirer.com
With proposed demolitions, a reinvention plan for Market Street is off to a rocky start
The new playbook is starting to look a lot like the old playbook.
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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Fantastic reuse of a substation and arts anchor, but I have never seen a city oppose the drive to turn a corridor into an creative arts district as much as Philly has with N American St
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Legacy arts institutions are struggling, and yet new ones are still being born in Philly. Today’s column looks at the ambitious Forman Arts Initiative, which will showcase for work by women, Black and brown artists in a fantastic clutch of industrial spaces. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
inquirer.com
Forman Arts Initiative promises to turn North American Street into a grittier version of the Parkway
At a time when legacy institutions are struggling, newer, more nimble arts groups are expanding.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
When I started covering Philly architecture in the 2000s there were spate of garage proposals. The applications fell off for awhile, but now there is a new crop. Septa is still underfunded, it is still too easy to drive & the world is growing hotter. @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Is 2025 Philadelphia’s year of the parking garage?
An unusual number of stand-alone parking garages has been proposed in Philadelphia this year, even as costs to build and maintain them surge.
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Jake Blumgart @jblumgart.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
This deteriorating historic Point Breeze church is being turned into a brewery, and thanks to legislation Council passed in 2019 it doesn't need any zoning relief to make the change www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
A once-crumbling Point Breeze church is being preserved as a brewery and community space
A city incentive to protect historically significant churches paves an easier path to redeveloping Second Nazareth Missionary Church.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
I hate everything the vulgarian-in-chief is doing to the architecture of the White House right now, but I do think it should be noted that the current east wing was built in 1942 to provide office space and cover the construction of an underground security bunker. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wing
en.wikipedia.org
East Wing - Wikipedia
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Can we install updated versions of this on all of Philly’s surface parking lots?
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
The @phillyinquirer ‘s first architecture quiz, courtesy of real estate editor @ericapalan www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
Can you match the famous Philly building to its architect?
Who built that? Name the people behind some of the Philly area’s most recognizable buildings.
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Jerome Hodos @jhodos.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Follow-up: a stirring, thoughtful review from the incomparable @ingasaffron.bsky.social. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
inquirer.com
Calder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentality
The project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway.
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Ryan Godfrey @ryangodfrey.com · 15/09/2025
I honestly don’t have enough luminous, magical spirit caves in my life.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Has ‘Go Birds’ fully replaced ‘Have a blessed day’ as the top Philly goodbye phrase?
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Not only is Calder Gardens like nothing else on the Parkway - it’s like nothing else anywhere. This is a great building, as my review explains. To celebrate, a gift link: share.inquirer.com/1K33B0
share.inquirer.com
Calder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentality
The project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Wasn't it just a few months ago that the Sixers and the arena bros were telling us that no one takes the subway to the Philly Sports Complex? 🤔 www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
inquirer.com
SEPTA will run sports express trains for Eagles home opener after sponsor steps in
FanDuel will cover the cost of an additional 10 sports express trains and fares for fans on their way home from the Philadelphia Eagles home opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
As storms become more intense, the flooding in Philly’s low-lying areas is forcing property owners to make difficult choices, and even abandon their buildings. My column looks at how a church was able to reuse a historic mill by balancing adaptation & preservation. www.inquirer.com/opinion/hist...
inquirer.com
Manayunk church prepares for floods by turning a Main Street mill into a modern Noah’s Ark
The project offers a solution for preserving vulnerable historic buildings in a time of rapid climate change. But it might not work forever.
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Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Putting a huge garage on a major transit corridor, within an easy walk of 30th Street Station’s regional rail, is another dagger in the heart of @SEPTA www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
inquirer.com
495-space parking garage is planned for 41st and Market in University City
A new almost 500-space parking garage is University Place Associates' latest development in this corner of West Philadelphia.
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