🤝 Meetup on Thursday / 🚏 Intercity Bus Terminal Returning in May / 🚋 Trolley Tunnel Reopening

🤝 MEETUP TOMORROW

Join us TOMORROW , Thursday, 1/15 at 6pm for our next meetup, an  urbanist PowerPoint party!

Hear from 5th Square Advocacy members and subject matter experts about a range of topics relevant to our built environment:

• Philly’s Intercity Bus Saga + Future
• Transit Funding
• Roosevelt Blvd Subway
• PA Administration
• Reforming Bike Parking
• Councilmanic Prerogative

$10 suggested donation allows us to buy hoagies, beer, and seltzers! 

🚏 INTERCITY BUS TERMINAL RETURNING IN MAY

Mayor Parker has officially signed into law a funding plan for the revitalization of Philadelphia's former Greyhound intercity bus terminal -- and we were there!

We've been advocating for a home for Philadelphia's intercity bus passengers since the Greyhound terminal closed years ago, so we are thrilled to see our elected officials coming together to make this a reality.

The renovated --  and provisional -- terminal will  reopen this May and we couldn't be more excited! Stay tuned here as we pivot our fight for a permanent home for intercity buses.

🚋 TROLLEY TUNNEL REOPENING

After a 2-month closure and impacts to 60,000 riders -- The trolley tunnel is  finally open again!

We held a fun and impromptu Welcome Home party with our partners at Transit Forward Philly during Monday's morning rush!

Thank you also to everyone who  helped advocate  for  speeding up the surface diversion routing for trolley riders. SEPTA and the City have heard our demands and followed through with a few changes to speed up service. We are following up to make sure transit priority measures stay in place for future diversions.

🏘️ HOUSING FOR HAHNEMANN

Philadelphia City Council is considering a bill to ban all homes on the site of the vacant Hahnemann Hospital ( Bill # 251101 ). Sign here to ask Councilmember Young to withdraw this bill and support mixed-use development for this site.

Fortunately, a developer has secured permits for 361 units on the site with ground-floor commercial, but CM Young's overlay would also ban housing in the surrounding parcels-- tell him we want housing for Hahnemann!

🏢 POINT ACCESS BLOCKS

Point access blocks are a great way to increase the supply of housing that's both more affordable and more liveable. These single-stair buildings allow for human-scale urban infill with better floorplans and even improved fire safety.

If you're unfamiliar, AIA Philadelphia put together an interesting guide to the housing typology here.

👋 BECOME A MEMBER

Thank you so much to those of you who have already joined 5th Square Advocacy as a member!

Our members support our grassroots work for a more accessible, sustainable, and equitable Philadelphia. Will you join us?

📰  5TH SQUARE IN THE NEWS

The Inquirer: Hahnemann developer secures permits for apartments in advance of Council housing ban

But the tradition of “councilmanic prerogative” would likely guarantee its passage because other Council members are unlikely to vote against a bill that affects only one district.

Nevertheless, the housing and transit advocacy group 5th Square has begun a campaign against the legislation and issued a petition earlier this week calling for its withdrawal. 

🚨  ACTION ITEMS

🚫🏘️ No Hahnemann Home Ban

Philadelphia City Council is considering a bill to ban all homes on the site of the vacant Hahnemann Hospital ( Bill # 251101 ). Sign here to ask Councilmember Young to withdraw this bill and support mixed-use development for this site.

☁️ Clean Air for Grays Ferry

CHOP is currently constructing a 7-story, 1,000 space parking garage in Grays Ferry which would bring considerable additional pollution to the neighborhood.  CHOP has applied for a "Complex Source" air pollution permit from the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services (AMS)--y ou can ask AMS to hold a public hearing about the proposal.

🚉 Support the Transit Access Fund

Transit Forward Philly is fighting for a Transit Access Fund to reduce financial barriers for low-income SEPTA riders. In addition to increasing ridership, the Transit Access Fund would help stabilize SEPTA's finances and protect riders from service cuts. Sign their petition here and share your story in support of it here.

EVENTS

Urbanist PowerPoint Party!
Thursday, January 15th, 6-8pm | Resurrection Church, 123 S 17th St, 2nd Fl
Join us for an evening of community-building + urbanist storytelling! Hear from 5th Square Advocacy members and subject matter experts about a range of topics relevant to our built environment. Pizza, beer, and sodas will be provided.

January Day of Action: Transit Leadership Training
January 22, 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Transit Forward Philly/BCGP Office, 1500 Walnut St, Ste 1107
Join Transit Forward Philadelphia for a transit leadership training. You'll learn how you can rally your community to make transit more affordable, safer, accessible, and fully funded.

Tiny WPA 10th Anniversary Celebration
Feb 12 from 6pm to 9pm | 3145 West Jefferson Street
Join Tiny WPA for a benefit celebrating their 10th anniversary featuring music, an open bar, delicious bites, and a live auction. Come support their work make Philadelphia's public spaces better.

Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities Conference
Fri, Feb 20, at 8:30 AM | The Study at University City, 20 S 33rd St
The Future of Cities Conference is a student-led, faculty-advised conference that aims to bring together urban innovators and experts from the public and private sectors to challenge and deepen the discourse around the trends, technologies, and policies transforming the future of our cities

WHAT WE'RE READING

🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE

• Inquirer.com / Hahnemann developer secures permits for apartments in advance of Council housing ban
• WHYY / PHA seeks to transform vacant Germantown properties into 121 affordable rentals
• Inquirer.com / Developer Iron Stone transfers two Hahnemann properties to new ownership
• Inquirer.com / Good intentions don’t build housing in Philly, and mediocre campaigns don’t win races in Pa. | Shackamaxon

🌳 PUBLIC SPACE

• Inquirer.com / The Shops at Liberty Place are for sale
• WHYY / Philly to spruce up downtown entrances in advance of America’s 250th

🚌 TRANSIT

• WHYY / ‘Going to make my life much better’: SEPTA trolley riders react to tunnel reopening
• Metro Philadephia / City, PPA on track to reopen shuttered Filbert Street bus terminal in May
• 6abc Philadelphia / Mayor Parker, PPA to hold ceremonial bill signing to fund revitalization of Center City bus terminal
• Billy Penn at WHYY / SEPTA expects Regional Rail crowding and delays to subside this month

🚲 MOBILITY

• usa.streetsblog.org / Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates 'Induced Demand,' Too
• NBC10 Philadelphia / Warning period ends for red light cameras at Eakins Oval on Kelly Drive

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Office of State Senator Nikil Saval / Summer Interns

Center for Public Enterprise /  Housing Program Manager

Bicycle Coalition

• Educator
• Board Members

East Falls Development Corporation /  Executive Director

Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority / Research and Policy Analyst

Vision Zero Philadelphia / Ambassador

Welcoming Neighbors Network /  Events Director

City of Philadelphia

• Airport Enterprise Asset Manager
• OTIS Communications Manager
• Director of Tax Policy and Planning
• Change Manager

Philly Office REtail /  Director of Leasing

Progress and Poverty Institute / Progress of Ideas Scholarship