In West Philly

In West Philly, parklets, the transportable temporary street parks in former parking spots, are spreading out along Baltimore Avenue. And these quaint sit-down areas are doing worthwhile things for the businesses they front.

The Cedar Parklet (love the name) is the most recent installation of these small spaces outside Little Baby's

If you've wondered how some of the Community Design Collaborative's proposals, which are always only concepts and guiding points, become a reality, the 2nd Green School Makeover Competition, a nationwide contest to transform a school with an innovative green project, is one example.

The Henry. C Lea Elementary School at 47th

Baltimore Crossing is a new pedestrian plaza now being constructed by the University City District (UCD) in West Philly, this time at 48th & Baltimore in front of the Gold Standard Café along the Baltimore Avenue Commercial Corridor. At a large five point intersection, the new plaza will be fabricated at the three corners on the south side of the

Last week, on the second floor of the International House at 37th & Chestnut, multi-disciplinary real estate firm U3 Ventures held a public meeting about a planned development at 4224 Baltimore Ave.,  a large vacant lot adjacent to Clark Park. You may recall, we first told you about this project a couple of months ago. About forty people

Neighbors in Spruce Hill in West Philadelphia are attempting to build up their organization by offering free membership for new members that join the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) between now and next winter.

Some civic groups charge fees and some don’t. SHCA fees are $20 a year. The group’s more than 300

The People’s Emergency Center (PEC) is at work revitalizing lower Lancaster Avenue in University City, an area tucked between the spur of development west of 30th Street and the rising popularity of neighborhoods like Spruce and Walnut Hill, and Clark and Cedar Park in West Philadelphia. Lancaster Avenue is a zipper thoroughfare that

In University City, the academic institutions after which the area is named are continuing to stretch out in all directions. Just last week, for example, Drexel University reported that they had acquired, for a mere $8.9M, a triangular parcel at 32nd & Market that currently houses a Firestone auto repair shop.

While the Firestone will continue

In Squirrel Hill, new improvements to a healthcare facility will coincide with demolition on the 4700 block of Chester Avenue. The Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, a 123-bed short and long term care facility, will undergo improvements, and a vacant twin Victorian with a third floor exterior facade that resembles a

Last November, we wrote about a blighted building at 50th & Pentridge, just around the corner from the recently opened Little Baby’s Ice Cream at 49th & Catharine. A couple of weeks ago, we noticed that a full-scale renovation job is happening at that location. When we wrote about the site last fall,

The Porch at 30th Street Station has been upping its game. Launched in 2011, the space has been improved in phases demonstrating an alternative way to public space making: build what you can when you can, then improve. It’s like buying an old home and fixing it up over time.

Over the