🏛️ DEMAND A BIKE LANE AROUND CITY HALL
We urgently need your help to get a bike lane around City Hall.
As PennDOT prepares to repave Penn Square this summer, we have an opportunity to make it safer and add a bike lane.
5th Square is Philadelphia's urbanist political action committee, organizing and advocating for better transportation, land use, and public space policies. Our work is made possible through the support of over 400 members donating anywhere from $5 to $25 a month.
🏛️ DEMAND A BIKE LANE AROUND CITY HALL
We urgently need your help to get a bike lane around City Hall.
As PennDOT prepares to repave Penn Square this summer, we have an opportunity to make it safer and add a bike lane.
We're working with PBA to push Councilmember Jay Young to introduce a bill by tomorrow, June 12th, so the bike lane gets approved before City Council breaks for the summer.
🚌 HARRISBURG TRANSIT RALLY RECAP
Thank you to everyone who went to Harrisburg last week to fight for SEPTA funding!
The huge turnout at the rally helped us show legislators from across the state how important public transit is to Pennsylvanians from all walks of life. After the rally, we spoke with legislators and their staff about the critical need for a sustainable funding solution.
Now let's keep the pressure up until we reach a solution that keeps SEPTA running. A great way to help is contact your elected officials if you haven't already and sign up to canvass with Transit Forward Philly.
Couldn't make the rally? See 6abc's coverage:
🅿️ RECAP: HEARING ON PARKING MANDATES
Thank you to everyone who came to testify at City Council last week!
We put together an impressive panel of urban policy experts, academics, and environmental advocates followed by a round of public speakers to talk about the harms of parking mandates and the benefits of removing them.
Good News! The Committee on Rules passed the bills removing parking mandates for our most dense commercial zones -- with final approval slated for tomorrow's full council session.
We look forward to pushing for parking mandate removal across all zoning categories in the 2025-2026 session.
Sign our petition to tell City Council: Abolish parking mandates in Philly!
🏫 SCHOOL STREETS
Last week, Philadelphia piloted its first school street at Bache-Martin in Fairmount.
School streets are a growing movement to remove cars from streets outside schools and open them up to people, improving health and safety for students, and providing a space for community connection.
Source: @spatulapete.bsky.social
We can't wait to see this program expand to more schools!
Read more from The New Urban Order: How Philly Launched Its First School Street Pilot
🌈 GAYBORHOOD OPEN STREETS
The Gayborhood is going car free on June Sundays from 11am to 5pm!
What better way to celebrate Pride Month than to fill the streets of the Gayborhood with people.
🚨 ACTION ITEMS
🚘 End Parking Mandates
Parking mandates make housing more expensive and entrench car dependency by forcing businesses and housing developments to build parking spaces regardless of parking demand or proximity to transit.
Sign our petition to tell City Council: Abolish parking mandates in Philly!
🚫 Grays Ferry Is Not a Parking Lot
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is proposing a 1,000-vehicle parking garage at 30th and Grays Ferry Avenue. This garage would be over 70 feet tall, reserved for employees, and would require a separate shuttle service. Sign our petition telling CHOP: Don't Treat Grays Ferry as a Parking Lot
🚦 Center City Roadway Improvements
The City of Philadelphia is looking to make roadway improvements to Market St, JFK Boulevard, and 20th St. Provide feedback here.
🛣️ 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
Wednesday Night Rides' 4th Birthday
June 11th, 7pm meet, 7:10pm roll | Boathouse at FDR Park
Join Wednesday Night Rides for a ride on their 4th birthday. This ride will go through FDR Park and the Navy Yard and end at Philadium
People’s Vision for Market East
Monday, June 23 · 5 - 7:30pm | Center for DesignPhiladelphia, 1218 Arch St
The Save Chinatown Coalition and Center City for Responsible Development are hosting an event to imagine a post-arena vision for Market East.
Development … For Good -- How To Solve a Housing Crisis
June 23, Happy Hour: 5-6pm, Program: 6-7:30pm | Fitler Club Ballroom, 1 S 24th St
This series by the Philadelphia Citizen delves into the economic and cultural difference that intentional real estate development can make. In this event, they will focus on Mayor Cherelle Parker's promise to build or renovate 30,000 affordable homes with guests Bruce Katz, director of Drexel University’s Nowak Metro Finance Lab, and Angela D. Brooks, Philadelphia’s Chief Housing and Urban Development Officer
Beyond the Boot: Parking, Trust, and What Moves a City
Jun 24, 4:00 PM | Virtual via Zoom
As part of a webinar series, Drexel is hosting PPA Director Richard Lazer for a conversation about how infrastructure, labor, and public safety intersect in daily city life and how the PPA is reinventing itself to rebuild trust and improve quality of life.
WHAT WE'RE READING
🏙️ HOUSING & LAND USE
🌳 PUBLIC SPACE
🚌 TRANSIT
🚴 MOBILITY
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
10,000 Friends of PA / Policy Director
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation /
World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia / President
University City District /
Ardmore Initiative /
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 or more.