Photography When The United Nations Almost Chose Philly For Its HQ With the news of Philly losing Amazon HQ2 to New York and D.C., the Historical Society of Pennsylvania takes us back to 1945 when the City nearly convinced the United Nations to built its headquarters in Fairmount Park
History Tell The Whole Story With Next Chapter Of The Philadelphia History Museum In this op-ed, Mabel Rosenheck says its time to put some fresh, 21st century eyes on how we interpret our city’s history with inclusivity as the top priority
History It Ain’t History–Yet. We Seek Ideas On How And Why To Save The Philadelphia History Museum The city that incubates the “most innovative public history practice in the country” can and should find a way to reinvent its city museum. We query the experts to get the conversation started
Development City Mobilizes Against Trash With Zero Waste Action Plan Can the City eliminate Philly’s litter epidemic by 2030? Nic Esposito, director of the Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet, says it can be done if government and residents work together. Michael Bixler catches up with the ‘litter czar’ to discuss an ambitious, municipal action plan to tackle the issue
History Assuming Room Temperature At The City Morgue The Shadow gives us a stiff lesson on corpse storage and the history of Philadelphia’s morgues
Urbanism Beyond The Blue Bin: On The Floor Of Citywide Curbside Recycling Ever wonder what happens to those plastic bottles and cardboard boxes after they leave your blue bin? Hidden City’s Michael Bixler ventures deep into Philadelphia’s curbside recycling machine in Grays Ferry
History Behind Philadelphia Maneto: Dissecting The City Seal A cornucopia, a scroll, a shield with a plough and a ship, a dismembered arm balancing scales, two gals named Peace and Plenty—they’re everywhere you look. Sam Robinson finds that the Seal of Philadelphia as we know it dates to 1908, but its origins date back to the establishment of the modern City government in 1789
Urbanism Data Democratized: CultureBlocks Launches Envisioning a richly calibrated tool for urban investment, the City’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy today unveiled a mapping tool for everyone. Vivienne Tang has the story