Reposted by Jon GeetingBrendan @ninthhostage.bsky.social · 08/10/2026NEW - the court has (for the second time) undesignated the Washington Square West Historic District Also - new filings with the Historical Commission show the deteriorating condition of the Keith Haring "We the Youth" mural buildphillynow.substack.com/p/breaking-c... 031
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Judge Hall overturned the 1,400-property Washington Square West Historic District again. @ninthhostage.bsky.social has the story, along with some new details on the Keith Haring mural case buildphillynow.substack.com/p/breaking-c...buildphillynow.substack.comBreaking: Court Overturns Wash. West Historic District | New Details on Haring MuralCommon Pleas judge reverses the 1,400-property Wash West district for the second time this year 170
Reposted by Jon Geeting5th Square Advocacy @5thsqadvocacy.org · 07/09/2026Our organizers worked back in 2020 to cobble together a grant among transit advocacy orgs to study institutional passes for SEPTA. thephiladelphiacitizen.org/septa-free-p... 121
Reposted by Jon Geeting5th Square Advocacy @5thsqadvocacy.org · 07/09/2026Using SEPTA Key Advantage as an incentive to attract jobs to Philadelphia is a smart move and we are thrilled to have played a small part in its founding! www.inquirer.com/real-estate/... 1256
Reposted by Jon GeetingStephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 07/08/2026If you live in PA and want single-stair, fill this out. Just do your best. The important thing is to fill it out. 0165
Reposted by Jon GeetingStephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 07/08/2026Anybody who has a moment should spam the RAC public comment form with accelerated adoption of the 2027 IBC single-stair provision. Doesn’t matter if you enter it wrong, a lot of submissions asking for the same thing will get the job done. (And tell them not to amend it in any way!) 1111
Reposted by Jon GeetingStephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 07/08/2026This is so low-density that it looks worse than nothing. Philadelphia is rapidly running out of vacant land, and once that happens, development is going to get a lot harder and more expensive. Wasting big blocks on low-rise housing, surface lots, and street widenings is so short-sighted. 4553
Reposted by Jon GeetingPass the Driscoll/LIFT Act @bradwilhelm.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Lebron probably took one look at the newly walkable Old City and said to himself, “I must live there.” 3182
Reposted by Jon Geeting5th Square Advocacy @5thsqadvocacy.org · 20/07/2026@iancoss.bsky.social's Highway Teardown Tour came to Philadelphia for an episode on I-95 with @ingasaffron.bsky.social, @dpearsonphl.bsky.social, and Leslie Richards--it's a great listen: www.wgbh.org/podcasts/big...wgbh.orgHighway Teardown Tour | 9. Philadelphia, PAEven as cities try to heal the damage of the interstate era, we are also continuing to expand our urban highways, continuing to turn parks and neighborhoods into new lanes and new off-ramps. So why is... 0115
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 22/06/2026I wrote about the law this guy is complaining about back in 2019 when it was just a proposal. Then, as now, the point has always been to remove veto points that people like the author can use to block reuse of buildings. It’s not a “loophole!” thephiladelphiacitizen.org/we-can-have-...thephiladelphiacitizen.orgWe Can Have Nice Things - The Philadelphia CitizenA City report makes clear that we can preserve our history and create new housing—if, Philly 3.0’s engagement director notes, our leaders make it happen 0140
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 22/06/2026NIMBYs describing an outcome consistent with the plain intent of the law: look at this horrible loophole! thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commen...thephiladelphiacitizen.orgGuest Commentary: Neighborhoods Deserve Input on Historic PropertiesHistoric properties deserve preservation, but a zoning loophole limits nearby residents’ input, says an attorney and concerned neighbor 3383
Reposted by Jon GeetingBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 06/06/2026Installation of Philly's first Zicla bus boarding island at 16th and JFK! Hope we get more throughout 3312
Reposted by Jon GeetingStephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 26/05/2026Mayor Mamdani has announced the Affordable & Efficient Code Reform task force, to convene later this year. The housing plan says that among other things, elevator and plumbing reform will be considered. www.nyc.gov/content/dam/... (pgs. 98-99) 1230244
Reposted by Jon GeetingOh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 23/05/2026Spending time in France and Switzerland, it’s clear that the “missing middle” in North America isn’t townhouses and duplexes. It’s mid-rises. Especially mid-rise neighbourhoods. Our denser urban fabric (Montreal, Chicago, etc.) is still mostly 2-3 storeys, not 4-8 like is so common here. 924336
Reposted by Jon GeetingFair Share Housing Center @fairsharehousing.bsky.social · 11/05/2026Good news from Trenton today: legislation making it easier to convert empty malls & office buildings into mixed-use communities — with at least 20% affordable housing required — just cleared a key Senate committee. Learn more from @njsenatedemocrats.bsky.social: www.njsendems.org/m/newsflash/...njsendems.orgSingleton, Wimberly Bill to Convert Vacant Offices, Retail into Mixed-Use Housing Advances • New Jersey Legislative Senate Democrats, NJ 293
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 26/04/2026been looking at this from the city permits side and hope to have something out soon. I would like to believe this but it’s harder to measure it than they’re presenting. They say in there they don’t measure the impact of overlays and such 010
Reposted by Jon GeetingMosh Lee @mosh.bsky.social · 09/04/2026Questions I have for Rich Lazer: - Can you double the parking permit fees for oversized vehicles, since they take up 2x the curb? - How could his approach to operational excellence and JFDI translate to other city depts, like L&I and Streets? - Does he want to run for Sheriff? 051
Reposted by Jon GeetingBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 09/04/2026Hope to see all Philly urbanist Bsky folks there, once in a lifetime opportunity! 181
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 09/04/2026PPA director Rich Lazer is our guest for BPN’s policy lunch tomorrow open.substack.com/pub/buildphi...open.substack.comPolicy Lunch 4/10: Rich Lazer, Philadelphia Parking AuthorityThis Friday at Econsult Solutions 170
Reposted by Jon GeetingSpooky Monorail Maoist @awildschild.bsky.social · 01/04/2026SEPTA has acquired the cars with the 2-by-sideways seating arrangement www.inquirer.com/transportati...inquirer.comRegional Rail is getting some used passenger cars from MontrealAged 37 to 39 years, the Montreal trains are youngsters compared to the Nixon-Ford era Silverliner IVs. 193
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 01/04/2026A crane for a 3-story building in Philly @stephenjacobsmith.com 230
Reposted by Jon Geetingjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 18/03/2026oh look at that www.pew.org/en/research-...pew.orgAustin’s Surge of New Housing Construction Drove Down RentsAfter decades of explosive growth, Austin, Texas, in the 2010s was a victim of its own success. Lured by high-tech jobs and the city’s hip reputation, too many people were competing for too few homes.... 7752541070
Reposted by Jon GeetingStephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 19/03/2026Just to make sure there won’t be enough new housing to keep even more from closing 2402
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 18/03/2026I know! Voted for it before he voted against it. And such a rarity for Michael Johns to be on the YIMBY side, which he was in two votes before recusing. These vote patterns are weird! I’m gonna dig into the voting history for a bigger project 020
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 18/03/2026After 5 appearances before the LB board in nearly 2 years, the proposal for 30 workforce homes on vacant city lots in Norris Square finally passed the board last Tuesday. But now it’s back in bureaucratic purgatory! New BPN News article from me: open.substack.com/pub/buildphi...open.substack.comBPN News | After Almost 2 Years, Land Bank Board Approves 30 Workforce Homes in Norris SquareAfter 5 appearances before the board, the proposal passed...only to land back in bureaucratic purgatory 020
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 18/03/2026Starting to dig into Philly Land Bank voting records and meeting packets with Claude Code to track LB projects. Here is a new BPN mini-site with the timeline for just one example project, showing why the process can take so darn long norrissquarettk.netlify.app 2100
Reposted by Jon GeetingJosh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Crazy crazy story. Times of Israel reporter ( English language Israeli news site ) gets escalating death threats to change story that’s at center of big polymarket bet. www.timesofisrael.com/gamblers-try...timesofisrael.comGamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don’t rewrite an Iran missile storyBettors are using death threats to try to get The Times of Israel's military correspondent to change his report on a missile impact in central Israel. This is his alarming account 4434451452
Reposted by Jon GeetingBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 15/03/2026Also the Germantown Station development parcel mentioned in the article, that SEPTA wants to see happen, still isn't getting rezoned with the Mayor's bills! CM Bass has stalled it wwww.septa.org/initiatives/... 1122
Reposted by Jon GeetingBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 02/05/2025Some overlay districts are huge and explicitly named after the Councilmanic District, a blatant expression of prerogative that was only introduced in 2021 first to ban ADUs whyy.org/articles/to-... 1111
Reposted by Jon GeetingBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 02/05/2025Here is a 3D map of Center City Philadelphia--but no, it's not height! This is the number of unique zoning overlays applied to each lot, totaling up to 14 separate overlays on some lots! codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philad... 27510
Reposted by Jon GeetingBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 12/03/2026I was able to create a Philly zoning overlay "skyline" out of this bsky.app/profile/bens... 1334
Reposted by Jon GeetingStephen Jacob Smith @stephenjacobsmith.com · 12/03/2026Generally I’m not one of those “eliminate two laws for every one you pass” or “the tax code should fit on an index card” people. Modern society is complicated and laws will be too. But big city zoning is getting too complicated. A lot of it came from a YIMBY place, but we need to simplify the rules. 111037
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 13/03/2026There’s a narrower slice of projects the current 6-month deadline already applies to. While doing this analysis I discovered about 1 in 3 of those projects blows the deadline. So it doesn’t even work well for the limited range of permits it applies to now and should be amended 130
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Forget a big project like Hahnemann—you can’t even build a single-family home in 6 months. They’re all caught up in this too if it passes 152
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 13/03/2026thephiladelphiacitizen.org/jeffrey-youn...thephiladelphiacitizen.orgDoes Councilmember Young Want to Stifle Development?City Councilmember Jeffrey Young's proposed bill would block more than 90 percent of city building projects, as Mayor Parker tries to build 132
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 13/03/2026CM Young’s Hahnemann revenge bill would have blocked 92% of legitimate development projects *citywide* from 2010-2025, based on a review of city permitting and construction timelines from that period 157
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Passyunk Ave manages to have much shorter opening times for restaurants, with many many more opening by-right. While I haven't been down there in a few months, I'm pretty sure it's not hell on Earth 030
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 26/02/2026I put the study results on this mini site I built with Claude Code, with a full analysis of 2007-2025 permits on multiple Philly commercial corridors, and an interactive map. All source data linked so you can check my work ncaoverlaystudy.netlify.appncaoverlaystudy.netlify.appNorth Delaware Commercial Overlay Study 110
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Food and beverage businesses spend anywhere from $3,000-15,000 dollars on this process, and have to wait an extra 7.5 months on average. By one estimate, this has transferred nearly $2M from restaurant entrepreneurs to zoning lawyers since 2007 thephiladelphiacitizen.org/neighborhood...thephiladelphiacitizen.orgHow Not to Plan A NeighborhoodThe controversy over a planned Fishtown restaurant is another instance of Neighborhood Commercial Areas making it hard for small businesses 131
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 26/02/2026I wrote about my white whale, the Neighborhood Commercial Overlay in Fishtown and Northern Liberties, which doubles the amount of time it takes to open a restaurant. The ZBA approves 97% of these cases, making it more like a toll booth than a gate 1114
Reposted by Jon GeetingTaniel @taniel.bsky.social · 25/02/2026Eye-popping margins in the Pennsylvania special elections today: —Democrats won HD94 by 63 points. (Harris won it by 30 in 2024.) —Democrats won HD42 by 35 points. (Harris won it by 17 in 2024.) [The 2024 numbers are via the essential @the-downballot.com]. 4354231340
Reposted by Jon Geetinggallandguile @gallandguile.bsky.social · 24/02/2026I personally know two separate people who just won neighborhood races By Applying. Both were relatively shocked 022
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 24/02/2026Dig into the ward politics of your neighborhood and get access to all the tools you need to win at 5th Square’s CP elections hub mini site 5thsq-ward-elections-hub.netlify.app5thsq-ward-elections-hub.netlify.appPhiladelphia Committee Person Map — 5th Square PAC 030
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 24/02/2026thephiladelphiacitizen.org/committeeper...thephiladelphiacitizen.orgCommitteeperson Elections, By the NumbersCommitteeperson may be the lowest elected office in Philly, but they're vital to civic engagement. And if you run...chances are, you’ll win 120
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 24/02/2026I wrote for @thephilacitizen.bsky.social about how uncompetitive the Philly committee person elections really are. Don’t be afraid to just go for it! 174
Reposted by Jon GeetingAaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 20/02/2026Trump: "I can do anything I want to do to them ... I'm allowed to destroy the country." 175489173447
Jon Geeting @jongeeting.bsky.social · 18/02/2026Running for a committee person seat in Philly, or thinking about it? I’ve been making some cool Philly CP election tools for 5th Square with Claude. Sign up on their CP interest form to get access docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... 073