๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Tonight: Run for Committee Person Training / โŒ City Council Says No I-95 Widening / ๐Ÿ”ฅ Fireside Chat with Angela Brooks

February 11, 2026

Weekly Newsletter #12 // February 11, 2026

5th Square Advocacy is an urbanist organization of grassroots advocates building a coalition for better transportation, land use, and public space policies. Our work is made possible through the support of a growing network of sustaining members .

๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ TONIGHT: RUN FOR COMMITTEE PERSON TRAINING

Tonight at 6pm, learn how to run for committee person!

Committee persons play important and influential roles in Philadelphia politics, but the ward system can feel confusing and opaque.

Our sister-org Fifth Square PAC will be co-hosting an in-person training tonight in Center City which will provide a practical guide to Philadelphia's ward system and teach you how to run for committee person.

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Can't make it tonight? There's a virtual option tomorrow from 6-7pm.

โŒ CITY COUNCIL SAYS NO I-95 WIDENING

This past week, City Council passed a resolution opposing PennDOT's plans to expand I-95 throughout South Philly and Center City.

Despite abundant evidence that adding new lanes increases pollution and harms surrounding communities, PennDOT is set on expanding ramps and adding new lanes, even at the cost of destroying youth sports facilities.

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We strongly oppose I-95 expansion and we thank CM Squilla and City Council for standing with Philadelphians to protect our city.

Read more about the resolution from Broad and Market.

๐Ÿ”ฅ FIRESIDE CHAT WITH ANGELA BROOKS

Join our Housing Committee on February 26th for a "fireside chat” event with city planner Angela D. Brooks who oversees the H.O.M.E Plan as the City of Philadelphia's Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer, and is Immediate Past President of the American Planning Association (APA).

We will be hosting it at Indy Hall and providing hoagies, beer, and seltzers.

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๐Ÿ‘‹ 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?

As a reminder, 5th Square Advocacy is a new, separate organization from 5th Square PAC which will focus on election-related activities while 5th Square Advocacy will be the new home for our issue advocacy and legislative efforts going forward. Should you have to choose which organization to support with your membership, we highly recommend choosing 5th Square Advocacy.

๐Ÿšจ  ACTION ITEMS

๐Ÿšง Safer West Market St

Market Street is one of our most dangerous roads. There have been 139 documented crashes just between 38th St and the Schuylkill River from 2020 to 2024. We're calling on city and state leaders to make West Market Street safer .

โ˜๏ธ 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.

EVENTS

How to Run for Committee Person in Philadelphia (In-Person)
Feb 11, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | 1906 Rittenhouse Square
Join our sister-org Fifth Square PAC as they co-host an event to teach you about Philadelphia's ward system and how you can get involved by running for committee person. 

Manayunk Canal Towpath Boardwalks Rehabilitation Open House
Wed., February 11th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM | Venice Island Performing Arts Center, 7 Lock St
The City will be hosting an open house on its plans to make the Manayunk Canal Towpath more flood-resistant and improve accessibility

How to Run for Committee Person in Philadelphia (Virtual)
Feb 12, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Virtual via Zoom
Join Committee of Seventy for a virtual event to teach you about Philadelphia's ward system and how you can get involved by running for committee person. 

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

Transit Equity Day: Celebrate Public Transit and Envision the Future!
Feb 21, 12:00 PM | Kensington Corridor Trust, 3400 J Street
Join Transit Forward Philadelphia in person for a day dedicated to celebrating public transit and imagining what’s next! Dive into engaging conversation and activities as they explore ways to make PA's transit safe, sustainable and accessible for everyone.

Urbanist Fireside Chat with Angela Brooks
February 26, 6pm to 8pm | Indy Hall, 709 N 2nd St
Join our Housing Committee for a “fireside chat” event with city planner Angela D. Brooks who oversees the H.O.M.E Plan as the City of Philadelphia's Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer, and is Immediate Past President of the American Planning Association (APA).

2026 Vision Zero PHL Conference
Thursday, March 12th, 9:00am to 4:00pm | Temple Student Center South, 1755 N 13th St
This year's Vision Zero conference, with the theme "Putting Community First: Revolutionizing Street Safety", invites participants to explore how the physical, social, and economic city converge and what’s possible when community needs and lived experiences guide decisions

WHAT WE'RE READING

๐Ÿ™๏ธ HOUSING & LAND USE

๐ŸŒณ PUBLIC SPACE

๐ŸšŒ TRANSIT

๐Ÿšฒ MOBILITY

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

City of Philadelphia

Leadership Philadelphia /  CEO

Committee of Seventy /  Documenters Program Manager

Vital City / Policy Director

Eastwick United CDC

Transit for All PA

Reinvestment Fund /  Nowak Fellowship

Indego / Community Ambassador

Pew’s Philadelphia Program /  Project Director, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative

Office of State Senator Nikil Saval /  Summer Interns

Center for Public Enterprise /  Housing Program Manager

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