☃️🥳 HOLIDAY PARTY ON FRIDAY
THIS FRIDAY, Join 5th Square members and friends for our annual Holiday Party + Urbanist Awards Ceremony at Indy Hall!
Come celebrate with other Philadelphia built environment activists, neighborhood and community leaders, architects, planners, builders, and sustainability advocates at the urbanist holiday party of the season!
Holiday Party + Urbanist Awards Ceremony
Friday, December 13th at 7 PM
Indy Hall, 709 N 2nd St
🏆 2024 URBANIST AWARD WINNERS
Presenting the winners of our 2024 Urbanist Awards:
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🎖️ Urbanist Lifetime Achievement Award - Dena Driscoll
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🚍 Urbanist Changemaker of the Year - Jessie Amadio, Co-Founder & Vice Chair, Philly Bike Action
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🏛️ Public Servant of the Year - Jawad Pullin, Legislative Director, Office of Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr.
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🚲 Neighborhood RCO Champion - Jonas Maciunas, Garden Court Community Association & 48th Street Greenway
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🏙️ Best Development of the Year - Meantime / ISA Architects
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📰 Urbanist Media Champion - Jake Blumgart, Reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer
Congrats to all of the winners! Come celebrate their achievements with us at our holiday party on Friday!
🚲 MAYOR PARKER SIGNS "GET OUT THE BIKE LANE" BILL
Thank you to Mayor Parker for signing the "Get Out the Bike Lane" bill!
When it goes into effect in the spring, all bike lanes will become no stopping zones and will raise the fine for drivers who park in bike lanes, helping make our streets much safer for those biking. Read more in Billy Penn.
🎄 IMPROVE MIRACLE ON 13TH STREET
The Miracle on S. 13th St is a magical gem and truly South Philly experience.
Its popularity has resulted in daily gridlock as visitors circle the block in their cars. It’s time the city pedestrianize this block during peak times.
The “Friends of Miracle on South 13th Street” are advocating for improvements to make the Miracle safer, more accessible and more enjoyable — including temporary street closures during peak hours, dropoff zones for trollies and noise code enforcement after 9 p.m.
🚇 UPCOMING ROOSEVELT BLVD OPEN HOUSES
Open House 1
Saturday, December 14, 10 AM - 12 PM
Mayfair Community Center
2990 St. Vincent Street, Philadelphia, PA 19149
Open House 2
Monday, December 16, 6 - 8 PM
Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast
2400 Old Lincoln Highway, Trevose, PA 19053
Open House 3
Wednesday, December 18, 6 - 8 PM
New Life Philly Church
425 E Roosevelt Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Open House 4
Tuesday, January 7, 6 - 8 PM
American Heritage Credit Union
2068 Red Lion Road, Philadelphia, PA 19115
❄️ RITTENHOUSE OPEN STREETS THIS SUNDAY
This Sunday, head to the Rittenhouse Square area for Center City District's open streets from 11am to 6pm.
📰 5TH SQUARE IN THE NEWS
Billy Penn at WHYY: Cars prohibited from stopping in bike lanes in Philly
Philly has had two cyclist deaths from fatal collisions with vehicles this year, 30-year-old Dr. Barbara Friedes in July and 28-year-old Dominique Jones last month. Those deaths, along with pedestrian Christopher Cabrera and others, led to pressure from cycling and pedestrian safety advocates — including Philly Bike Action, 5th Square and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia — on the mayor’s office and the city.
West Philly Local: “Get Out The Bike Lane” bill signed into law; Enforcement delayed until Spring 2025
In mid-August, a petition led by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia in partnership with 5th Square, Philly Bike Action and Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia was given to Mayor Parker and other members of Council urging for passage of this legislation and other measures in support of fully protecting Philadelphia’s bike lanes.
🚨 ACTION ITEMS
🚌 Lehigh Ave Bus Lane
OTIS is studying a bus lane on Lehigh Ave from Kensington Ave to American St. Respond to their survey.
🚲 Support the Spruce and Pine Streets Redesign
Opponents in Society Hill have been circulating flyers with a petition opposing life-saving measures which would add concrete protection to the bike lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets. To help us push back and show our elected officials that we support safer Spruce and Pine Streets, sign and share our petition supporting the redesign.
🏘️ More Housing in PA
🛣️ Stop I-95 Expansion
PennDOT is planning to expand I-95 in Center City and South Philly by adding lanes and new ramps. This will threaten the well-being of our neighborhoods by worsening air quality, increasing noise pollution, harming our access to the waterfront, and destroying sports facilities. To make matters worse, PennDOT has been deceitful about its engagement efforts.
Join us in telling PennDOT that highway expansion has no place in the core of Philadelphia by signing our petition.
EVENTS
Viaduct Greenway: The Next Phase of the Rail Park | CSI-PHILLY
Dec 11, 2024, 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Urban Engineers, 530 Walnut St
Join CSI-Philly for an in-depth exploration of the planning and design of the next phase of the Rail Park with a presentation by Paul Levy of Center City District and Angelo Waters of Urban Engineers.
5th Square Holiday Party + Awards Ceremony
December 13, 2024 at 7:00pm – 9pm | Indy Hall, 709 N 2nd St
Join 5th Square for our annual holiday party and an awards ceremony where we will be presenting awards to members of our community for their outstanding contributions to Philadelphia’s urbanist movement.
Roosevelt Blvd Open House 1
Saturday, December 14, 10 AM - 12 PM | Mayfair Community Center, 2990 St. Vincent Street
Support the subway option at this Public Open House for Roosevelt Boulevard! Hosted by PennDOT, SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia
Rittenhouse Open Streets
December 15th, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Walnut and 18th Streets in Rittenhouse
Center City District is bringing back car-free Sundays on portions of 18th Street and Walnut Street near Rittenhouse Square.
Roosevelt Blvd Open House 2
Monday, December 16, 6 - 8 PM | Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast - 2400 Old Lincoln Highway, Trevose, PA 19053
Support the subway option at this Public Open House for Roosevelt Boulevard! Hosted by PennDOT, SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia
Roosevelt Blvd Open House 3
Wednesday, December 18, 6 - 8 PM | New Life Philly Church, 425 E Roosevelt Blvd
Support the subway option at this Public Open House for Roosevelt Boulevard! Hosted by PennDOT, SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia
YIMBY Chanukah Philadelphia
Thursday, Dec 26 at 7:30pm | RSVP for Location
Come celebrate Chanukah with other pro-housing folks in our first ever YIMBY Jewish Chanukah party in Philadelphia!
Roosevelt Blvd Open House 4
Tuesday, January 7, 6 - 8 PM | American Heritage Credit Union, 2068 Red Lion Road
Support the subway option at this Public Open House for Roosevelt Boulevard! Hosted by PennDOT, SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia
WHAT WE'RE READING
🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE
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Philadelphia Business Journal /
🌳 PUBLIC SPACE
🚌 TRANSIT
🚴 MOBILITY
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.
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