📢 PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE FOR WASHINGTON AVE
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Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson - District 2 - [email protected]
- (215) 686-3412, (215) 686-3413 (leave msg for Joshu Harris, Legislative Director)
- City Hall, Room 580, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3290
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Councilmember Mark Squilla - District 1 - [email protected]
- (215) 686-3458, (215) 686-3459 -
- City Hall, Room 332, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3290
📖 BOOK EVENT: FIXER-UPPER
Thursday, March 17th at 6:30pm
Fixer Upper: How to Repair America's Broken Housing Systems is the first book assessing how the broad set of local, state, and national housing policies affect people and communities.
Light refreshments (pizza, beer, and seltzer) will be served. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Note: Attendees must present evidence of full vaccination to be admitted.
🎩 RUN FOR A COMMITTEE PERSON SEAT IN 2022
Philadelphia's political parties are holding local elections at the precinct level in 2022, and you can run for and win a seat in your neighborhood with just a few dozen votes. 5th Square's mission is all about reforming Philadelphia's planning politics around transportation, housing, and public space, and elected officials really listen to grassroots community leaders on these topics. That could be you!
Sign up for more info about how to get involved in running where you live!
✅🚲🏙️ JOIN US FOR THE 2022 ELECTIONS
Help us decide which Philly-area candidates to support for 2022 races in the PA State Senate and PA State House.
Members will gain exclusive access to vote on our candidate endorsements and can join our discussion to shape our priorities for the upcoming election cycle.
Become a 5th Square member TODAY
Kick off 2022 by helping us advocate for a more sustainable, walkable, and bicycle-friendly Philadelphia!
🚲 BIKE LANE EXTENSIONS COMING TO WEST PHILLY
The parking-protected bike lane on Chestnut Street will be improved and extended to 63rd Street, along with its counterpart on Walnut Street. Market Street will also see improvements between 30th Street and 34th Street, removing on-street parking in that area.
Thom Carroll, PhillyVoice
Both Chestnut and Market are part of the High Injury Network, which are the streets mostly likely to result in injuries and fatalities. With Chestnut leading into Cobbs Creek Parkway, this will certainly help with ongoing efforts to keep everyone safe as they travel around West Philly.
5TH SQUARE IN THE NEWS
🏙️ SAFER WASHINGTON AVE
5th Square member Will Tung wrote about why Washington Aveue needs the three-lane plan, as "adding back an extra lane of traffic, we are making the road more dangerous for all pedestrians, especially our schoolchildren."
"Washington Avenue today might as well be a border wall. The injustice is not in making the road safer and easier to cross, but in failing to do it decades earlier. It is long overdue that we bridge these divides and reconnect our communities both physically and psychologically."
SURVEYS
We at 5th Square are still working on our 2022 questionnaire for candidates for the State House Representatives and want your input! Submit questions for us to to include in our questionnaire here.
DVRPC may be issuing a grant to SEPTA for improvement to the 19th and 37th Street trolley stations to make them fully ADA accessible. Voice your approval for this project to the DVRPC board!
The Office of the City Controller is seeking volunteers to serve on a Community Advisory and Accountability Council (Community Council), as part of an independent review of the Philadelphia Police Department.
The City of Philadelphia wants to hear from you about your housing and neighborhood, including what happened the last time you looked for housing. Your answers will help shape our plans to address our housing needs. The survey is in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, French, Portuguese, and Arabic. Be sure to send it to your neighbors!
WHAT WE'RE READING
🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE
WHYY / Knight Foundation gives Philly startup grant to help Black developers flourish
Philadelphia Inquirer / SEPTA’s Wayne Junction makeover is bringing change to Germantown
CNN / Opinion: How we can solve the nation's affordable housing crisis
Strong Towns / Monopoly Hotels and Missing Middle Housing
Planetizen / Will Philly's New Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning Yield Results?
🌳 PUBLIC SPACE
AOL / More Americans than ever enjoying outdoor health benefits. But racial inequities persist.
WURD Radio / Reality Check 2.9.22 - Daniel Pearson
WHYY / Action sought to speed up repairs on crumbling 25th St. rail viaduct in South Philly
KYW Radio / Philly offers incentives, possible pay hike to attract lifeguards
EVENTS
Carousel House Design Workshop
Tuesday, February 22nd, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST (Virtually via Zoom)
Thursday, Feb 24, 2022 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM EST (In-person at Gustine Rec Center, 4868 Ridge Ave)
How would you like to use the spaces in the new recreation center? What would you like to see happen there? How can we continue to celebrate Carousel House's history? Be part of the conversation to make the new facility your favorite place to be! Join either the virtual OR in-person meeting. Rebuild will share the same information at each event. Closed captioning and sign language will be provided on Zoom. Sign language interpretation and childcare will be available at the in-person meeting. Masks will be required.
DAG Monthly Event: Why Buildings Leak
Thursday, February 24, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Join the Design Advocacy Group with a talk about how to prevent water leaks with good architectural strategies. Registration is required. Free.
DAG Monthly Event: To the Future! Rail Park Feasibility Study Results and Next Steps
Thursday, March 24, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST
The Rail Park is a vision for a three mile linear park and multi-use pathway connecting 10+ Philadelphia neighborhoods and 50 city blocks along the site of former Reading and Pennsylvania Railroad lines. Friends of the Rail Park commissioned a cost estimate and feasibility study in 2021 to determine a viable next phase of the Rail Park, and better understand how the Rail Park can contribute to comprehensive community development. Friends of the Rail Park’s Executive Director, Rebecca Cordes Chan, will share the preliminary results of this work and the path forward. Registration is required. Free.
ULI Philadelphia: Multifamily - Shifts in the Suburbs
Thursday, March 3, 2022, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM EST
Join the ULI Philadelphia Housing Council as we explore a “Shift in the Suburbs” and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing residential development in Philadelphia’s neighboring counties.
GRANT & FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The #PhilaLandBank has issued an RFP for Pastor James Allen. Land Bank is soliciting proposals from developers to acquire and develop 25 parcels located in Philadelphia’s Haddington neighborhood for affordable homeownership. Get more RFP info at https://phdcphila.org/rfps-rfqs-sales/development-rfps/ . Due 2/28.
2022 AARP Community Challenge - The AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to fund quick-action projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages. This year, applications will be accepted for projects to improve public spaces, housing, transportation and civic engagement; support diversity, equity and inclusion; build engagement for programs under new federal laws; and pursue innovative ideas that support people age 50 or older. Deadline: Tuesday, March 22
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources is now accepting applications for the 2022 round of Community Conservation Partnership Program grants. Applications accepted until April 6. More information: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Communities/Grants/Pages/default.aspx
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee.
We're an all-volunteer grassroots organization advocating for safe and affordable transportation, abundant housing, and more and better public spaces. You’re receiving this email if you signed up via our website, attended one of our events, or supported one of our advocacy campaigns.
Support our advocacy with a recurring monthly contribution of $5.