Preservation Lost Buildings of 2018 Philadelphia’s preservation crisis reached a critical high in 2018 with a record-breaking number of demolition permits approved by the City. Here we highlight some of the biggest loses to our built environment in our annual end-of-year list
Urbanism Rare Books Department At FLP Examines A City In Transition Affordable housing, displacement and gentrification, demolition for redevelopment–sounds a lot like today’s local headlines, but Philly has been dealing with these issues for decades. This and more is addressed in the new exhibition, “Philadelphia: The Changing City,” now on view at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Ali Roseberry-Polier has the review
Preservation In Sharswood, Effort To Save Dox Thrash House Gains Momentum As modern urban renewal continues to erase African-American history in North Philly, one group works against the odds to preserve a renowned Philadelphia artist’s legacy. Starr Herr-Cardillo has the story
History The Vanishing Of Northeast Village David Coyne traverses bramble and broken blacktop along Roosevelt Boulevard to reveal a military housing community that was evacuated and demolished in the 1960s
Architecture The Blum Come Down Saturday’s implosion of seventeen buildings, including two towers, marked the ceremonious end of the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Norman Blumberg Apartments. Brad Maule’s photo essay takes us through its final moments
Preservation Redevelopment In Sharswood: Will It Come At The Expense Of Preservation? The Philadelphia Housing Authority’s most ambitious redevelopment plan in a decade will radically reshape the Sharswood neighborhood. The agency has acquired more than 300 row homes and commercial buildings through eminent domain and preservationists are worried they will be torn down
Preservation Breaking Through Historic Preservation’s Color Line Diversity in preservation is a tricky thing. When cultural history speaks more for a building than architecture merit ears often go deaf. Hidden City co-editor Michael Bixler sits down with All That Philly Jazz director Faye Anderson to discuss landmarking the former home of Malcolm X and the precarious nature of protecting Philadelphia’s built African-American heritage
Development Bidding Farewell To Queen Lane, Looking Ahead For PHA With tomorrow morning’s implosion of Queen Lane Apartments, the Philadelphia Housing Authority will have demolished 23 of the 36 residential high-rises they built in the 1950s and 60s. Ryan Briggs examines where Queen Lane falls in PHA’s long term plan for fixing the largely failed experiment
