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Construction Waste Not, Want Not

Philly is certainly experiencing a construction boom, but with all those new properties and rehabs comes construction waste—and lots of it. One company and a rotating cast of artists are working to turn constructing “waste” into something much more.

 

Neighborhoods in every corner of the city are seeing new housing stock go up, and countless existing homes being rehabbed. From East Kensington to North Philadelphia to South Philly, new development projects can be spotted almost weekly. The resulting construction waste going to landfills is a downside to this real estate boom—or at least it was until Revolution Recovery and Recycled Artist in Residency (RAIR) came along.

 

Revolution Recovery, tucked away in Northeast Philadelphia, makes it exceptionally easy to not only get rid of construction materials, but to recycle them—leaving no excuse for disposing of such materials improperly. Serving everyone from the individual rehabber to larger-scale construction sites, Revolution Recovery recycles the gamut of typical builder materials: wood, drywall, metal, rubble, plastics, carpet, and more.

 

Where do the artists come in? Artists, and sculptors in particular, use some of the same materials that turn up at Revolution Recovery: Tyvek, glass, drywall, wood, etc. They had already been showing up at the recycling center in search of these materials, when local artist Billy Dufala told owners Avi Golen and Jon Wybar about a formal program for artists at San Francisco waste-management company, Recology.

 

“Flying Sails,” (left) by RAIR resident Laura Ruth, and a Christmas card (right) designed by RAIR co-founder Billy Dufala

 

Golen and Wybar were sold on the idea, and Recycled Artist in Residency (RAIR) was born. Applications are accepted for standard residencies, 3 months maximum, or “Biggie Shorties,” large-scale projects conducted in a short time frame—36 hours, to be exact. Those 36 hours fall during the time the dump isn’t in use over the weekend, and must be photographed and demolished before Monday morning, when it rejoins the recycling stream.

 

Imagine if all construction waste in Philadelphia was disposed of responsibly! Not only would it benefit the environment, but now the arts as well. A financial incentive from the City to promote the recycling of construction waste could go a long way in achieving this goal.

 

RAIR is accepting 2015 applicants until December 7th, details here.

 

Opening image courtesy of Gridphilly.com, “Flying Sails” and Christmas card image courtesy of Philly.com.

How Philly Can Maintain #1 Ranking for Bike Commuting

Despite lagging behind in biking amenities, Philadelphia was recently revealed to have the highest percentage of bike commuters among the largest U.S. cities. If the City steps up its bike infrastructure, could we become a contender for best bicycling City worldwide? The key word is “if.”

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) released an impressively comprehensive study of Philadelphia’s biking infrastructure and its influence on attracting new riders and on existing riders’ behavior.

The information is particularly apt as Philadelphia plans to roll out its first bike share program, which the Solo Blog detailed a while back. With a bike share comes many cyclists biking in the city for the first time, and as the BCGP report reveals, proper cyclist amenities help produce proper cycling behavior.

What are proper cyclist amenities and behavior, you might ask? As for amenities, bike lanesare good, buffered bike lanes are better, protected bike lanes are best, and “sharrows” (share-the-road painted road markings) don’t cut it.

Philly’s quarter-mile of protected bike lane (left) on Delaware Avenue, and a bike “sharrow” (right) in Fishtown

Proper bicyclist behavior includes biking with the flow of traffic, not biking on the sidewalk, and wearing a helmet.

Unfortunately, Philadelphia does not yet have enough bicycle amenities to have cyclists on their best behavior all the time.

Yet despite falling behind some major cities in bike lane installation, protected bike lanes in particular, Philadelphia still has the highest percentage of bike commuters. Which means if the City installs more bike infrastructure, it is likely to retain and even expand upon that #1 ranking. This is because with bike infrastructure, if you build it, new cyclists will come–studies have shown as much.

Let’s keep them coming, then! This is an opportunity for Philadelphia to continue to distinguish itself among U.S. cities. Perhaps most importantly, biking in Philly is fun! Here’s to making it even more so, and encouraging more people to join in that fun.

Opening image courtesy of bicyclecoalition.org.

Big Changes Coming to Philly Skyline

It seems like every week developers announce plans to build a major new residential project in and around Center City. All this construction has the potential to bring big changes to Philadelphia.

The week from February 12th and February 19th, 2014 was an extraordinary one for Philadelphia’s real estate sector. In those seven days, not one but three plans for large residential projects were made public. Between designs for a 32-story apartment tower at 16th and Vine, an 8.5 acre, multi-story residential complex at 23rd and Arch, and a 429-foot residential/commercial development at 7th and Market, these projects (if approved) would add hundreds of new apartments to Philadelphia at roughly the same time.

These announcements come on the heels of nearly a dozen other major highrise residential projects that are either under construction or in the works. This, coupled with literally dozens of smaller low-rise developments, suggests Philadelphia is entering a building boom the likes of which it has not seen in decades.

Before you reach for the antacids, let’s note that all signs point to the strength and potential of the local real estate market. A recent survey of sales and investments in central Philadelphia neighborhoods for the year 2013 confirmed this. While the residential rental vacancy rate in Center City has increased slightly over the past year due to more supply, the rate of 3.3% is still very healthy. Developers then are likely trying to strike while this iron is hot (which it strongly appears to be).

Of course, in a city with such a rich cultural and architectural legacy, we have to hope this new building fits in with and encourages the growth of Philadelphia’s unique urbanism and beauty. Critics have pointed out that not all these projects achieve those goals.

These projects, if completed, could have myriad effects – some bad, some good. While too many new apartments could depress the rental market, too few could slow the growing investment in Philadelphia. One thing is for sure though: it’s becoming clear that our skyline will look very different in just a few year’s time…

Does Philadelphia Have a Williamsburg?

Gawker, a popular New York-based blog, recently stirred up controversy in Philly by declaring which neighborhoods in our city are equivalent to the NYC hipster havens Williamsburg and Bushwick. But does an exercise like this do more harm than good?

 

Let’s start by saying that placing one neighborhood into the context of another is a natural way to build a frame of reference in an unfamiliar place. We should also note that Gawker did not make these selections on their own, rather doing so by polling their readers and making similar comparisons between other U.S. cities and the Big Apple.

 

But given Philadelphia and New York’s close, complex and sometimes fraught relationship, making public comparisons like this has far more implications than Gawker might have thought.

 

Yes, some communities in our cities feel very similar: Rittenhouse Square’s brownstones are almost identical to those in Brooklyn Heights or the West Village. Other areas though, like Society Hill, have no equivalent as Philadelphia has preserved its colonial architecture in a way that New York has not.

 

The Gawker readers then who selected Northern Liberties to represent gentrified Williamsburg and Kensington to represent grittier, post-industrial Bushwick weren’t incorrect, but they were playing into an unproductive game of NYC navel-gazing.

 

For one thing, although New York City certainly plays an incredibly important role in urbanism, its neighborhoods are not the end-all-be-all of American cities: Northern Liberties and Kensington have their own stories to tell too.

 

Indeed, life in a city is so much richer than living in a cookie-cutter suburb precisely because each neighborhood has its own unique structure and culture. Thus, we do a disservice to all cities (even the Big Apple) when we try to force non-New York communities to ignore what makes them special and define themselves in New York terms.

 

Of course, this diversity is especially important when it comes to the relationship between Philadelphia and New York. As New Yorkers come to Philadelphia for our top-tier universities and low cost of living, so too do Philadelphians go to New York to shop and do business. That give and take, separated by a mere 90 miles, positively impacts both cities in too many ways to count. In the end then, we are likely better off focusing on the benefits of our differences rather than trying to make Philly and New York the same.

24-Hour Subway, 24-Hour City

SEPTA announced that it’s not yet bedtime for their 24-hour weekend subway service pilot program. Is this a step towards Philadelphia becoming a 24-hour city? If ridership remains high, the City of Brotherly Love may soon have a lot more nightlife to love.

 

Originally scheduled to end after Labor Day, SEPTA has extended the program through November 2nd. Making this service permanent would be a huge leap towards making Philadelphia an around-the-clock city, with both a booming daytime tourism industry and a happening after hours scene.

 

It would also put Philadelphia on par with Boston, which is also piloting 24-hour weekend service, and ahead of San Francisco and many European cities, including Paris, which lack 24-hour subways.

 

So far, Philadelphians have jumped at the opportunity to take the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines at all hours of the night. Ridership is up 50% during the extended hours, an indicator that the city’s late-night scene could grow substantially if the all-night service remains in place.

 

The presence of transit police on the trains during overnight hours has kept operations running smoothly, and no safety issues have been reported.

 

Late-night riders wait on the platform (left) and a poster (right) promoting the extended subway service. (Image courtesy of I SEPTA Philly)

 

The true test will be running the pilot between Labor Day and November 2nd, when the summer heat fades and universities are back in session. If ridership holds strong, proving that the extended service is financially feasible, SEPTA will consider running 24-hour weekend service beyond the pilot’s conclusion.

 

So go for that late-night screening, secret DJ set, or last call at your favorite bar—if you play the night owl, the City may follow your lead!

 

Opening image courtesy of Andrew Bossi.

Guard Our Beer Gardens!

In Philadelphia, pop-up beer gardens appear like oases amidst the urban heat. However some legislators are demanding the closure of the loophole in the liquor code that makes them possible. Will Philadelphians be forced back indoors to enjoy their summer shandies and IPAs?

 

The PHS (Pennsylvania Horticultural Society) pop-up garden and the Eakins Oval beer garden are two of these temporary outdoor bars. On a given day you’ll find them dotted with hammocks, furniture cleverly crafted from repurposed objects, and full of people.

 

It’s not just the hammocks that draw the crowds; the pop-ups are also places where Philadelphians can legally purchase and drink alcohol in an outdoor space.

 

This is possible via creative interpretation of the stringent Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s (PLCB) liquor code, the recent publicizing of which is causing some to wonder if these watering hole oases will soon be merely a mirage.

 

On July 17th, four state legislators wrote to the PLCB demanding the closure of the loophole that allows pop-up beer gardens.

 

Proponents of closing the loophole argue that liquor licenses cost businesses upwards of $85,000, substantial amounts of red tape and a headache. Meanwhile, the loophole allows applicants to receive liquor licenses for temporary beer gardens for $500 and through a one-page application.

 

Undoubtedly, the discrepancy is unfair, but so are many facets of Pennsylvania’s puritanical liquor code.

 

Ideally, instead of repealing the amendment to the code that facilitates the loophole, the pop-up beer garden debate would lead to an examination and overhaul of the code itself. Philly’s pop-up beer gardens are a wonderful example of the benefits that a fresh perspective on state liquor laws can bring.

 

The PHS Pop-Up Beer Garden at 15th & South Streets

Beer gardens activate underutilized spaces in Philadelphia, of which we have many. In the case of the PHS Pop-Up Garden, the venue is an otherwise vacant lot.

 

When happy hour hordes and cocktail connoisseurs flock to beer gardens instead of disappearing into bars, they are contributing to the public life and vibrancy of the city.

 

Notably, nearby eateries and bars alike report spikes in sales and beer garden operators report that neither neighboring bars nor residents have complained.

 

Sounds like a win-win that we’d hate to lose.

Bright Lights, Big Issues

Philadelphians are rightfully proud of our city’s historic streetscape. But will a slew of proposed digital billboards add new life and energy to our city’s architectural heritage or serve as Las Vegas-style eyesores?

 

The Lit Brothers building on Market Street is the latest historic Center City building that may soon host a large digital billboard. Located just a stone’s throw from Independence Hall, this new billboard proposal is once again adding heat to a simmering dispute between business interests and preservationists.

 

Most will freely admit that the Lit Brothers building needs some investment. Once the city’s most successful commercial spaces, tenants in the ornate historic building have struggled financially in the past few decades. Developers are then seeking to breathe new life into this 19th treasure by (in part) adding a huge and eye-catching digital billboard.

 

Day and night renderings of the Lit Brothers Building’s digital billboard. (Image courtesy Hidden City.org.)

 

Indeed, the potential new Lit Brothers billboard is just one of many similarly controversial proposals. While the digital billboards on the Kimmel Center have proved a success, other proposals at the Gallery for instance have received more mixed reviews. For its part, City Hall is still grappling with how to regulate this type of outdoor advertising.

 

Practically though, it’s important to remember that progress and preservation are not mutually exclusive. Smart growth can breathe new life into places like the struggling Lit Brothers Building. In addition, these new digital billboards are planned for commercial districts – that’s not to suggest that those areas don’t also deserve protection, but Times Square is not about to appear in your leafy residential block keeping you up at night.

 

We need to recognize then that digital billboards will affect different spaces in different ways. There’s really no use in trying to create a one-size-fits-all approach to these displays in a city as diverse as Philadelphia. But if we demand smart, site-specific planning for these billboards we can hopefully ensure businesses, residents and preservationists will all be reasonably satisfied.

 

Besides, if Philadelphians can come to love the digital sign atop the PECO Building, surely we can learn to live with them other places, too.

 

Opening image courtesy of barco.com.

Is Buying Cheaper Than Renting?

There’s an old axiom that says buying is smarter than renting. While that may not be true everywhere, a new survey finds that at least in Philly, buying does offer amazing savings.

 

Ask a recent first-time homebuyer and they’ll likely say their parents told them that while renting is okay at first, buying is a much better option because it serves as a very real investment in the future.

 

According to Philly.com, a recent survey shows that Mom and Dad were right.

 

This finding was established by Trulia, a popular real estate website. It holds that even over a period of just seven years, buying a home in Philly at the current median price of $175,000 would be 48% cheaper than renting a home at the current median price of $1600 per month.

 

This may sound obvious, but the very same survey finds that in places like New York or Los Angeles the opposite is true. Philadelphia’s large supply of reasonably-priced homes helps us avoid the affordability issues facing these other major cities.

 

In addition, this conclusion holds particularly true in certain neighborhoods in Philadelphia’s urban core, where steep property value increases in communities like Graduate Hospital or Passyunk Square push house hunters to buy as soon as they can.

 

It’s important to remember that a house needs to be both a place to live as well as an investment. Renting can be a smart decision for a while, but buying gives you the ability to create a home that perfectly suits your needs and tastes while also serving as a strong investment.

 

Ultimately, knowing the facts and figures that guide the real market are an important first step in buying a home the right way.

Millennials Making Their Mark On City

There’s no doubt that Millennials are everywhere in Philadelphia. More than just populating our high-end coffee shops though, this age group is reshaping the very nature of our city.

 

In its recent report “Millennials in Philadelphia: A Promising But Fragile Boom“, Pew Charitable Trust has found that Millennials (defined in their study as people between the ages of 20 and 34) are Philadelphia’s fastest growing age group, expanding by 20% from 2000 to 2012. This is the strongest growth rate for any major U.S. city and far out paces Millennial hubs like Austin, San Francisco or Portland.

 

While this population boom has effected many of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, Pew confirms that the areas immediately surrounding Center City, with their central location and lower rents, have experienced the greatest Millennial-driven population expansion. It’s no wonder then that these communities have also experienced strong redevelopment, as density and improved quality of life usually go hand in hand.

 

The orange neighborhoods above represent the highest growth areas for Millennials in Philadelphia. (Image courtesy of Pew Charitable Trust)

 

From a broader perspective though, Millennials are also key to Philadelphia’s economic future.Pew finds that 37.4% of Millennials hold a bachelors degree compared to the city average of 23.4%; this well-educated group then offers the raw talent that the city’s growing post-industrial economy needs to prosper.

 

Much of Pew’s report however have been met with mixed reviews. Philly.com for instance takes a negative view of Pew’s conclusions, focusing on the study’s findings that half of all Millennials surveyed plan on leaving Philadelphia in the next 5 to 10 years, many citing lack of professional opportunity, bad schools and safety issues. Neither the study nor its critique however compare Philadelphia’s rate in this regard to other cities; Millennials may be just as eager to leave New York or Los Angeles. As our least static age group, one wonders if this finding is the result of the city’s problems, the mobility of youth or a mix of factors.

 

Like any major demographic change, the growth of Millennials here will take time to reach its full effect. But with their passion for vibrant urban communities, chances are Philadelphia’s Millennial revolution will yield bold and positive results.

 

Opening illustration courtesy of Thomas Pitilli and The Philadelphia City Paper.