Also star-struck by their cameo at our holiday party!

The test street art bus times sign by artist Make It Weird is gone from 8th and Wharton Streets. And in its place a new sign including artwork by Badly Drawn Buses and custom mount support by Lac Arts. So exciting to see this project grow and continue to support Philly’s public transit riders!

Thank you to the 100 folks who attended our first ever Urbanist PowerPoint Party last night! We had a great time deep diving into just a few topics covering our built environment.

Homes are in high demand, especially with Philly being a close-to-NYC city with Pennsylvania pricing! Office Towers are not in high demand anymore. Mixed use would probably be best and future proof the site. Commercial only zoning would be bad!

Unbelievable that City Council would even consider a home ban on one of the most transit-accessible parcels in our city. Sign our petition today to ask Councilmember Young to withdraw his bill and support mixed-use development for the Hahnemann Hospital site.

Just added the Build More Housing! sticker to my laptop. Thanks @5thsqadvocacy.org! You can get one by becoming a member! www.5thsqadvocacy.org/membership

This is what political courage looks like

UPDATE! A few weeks back we launched this petition with @transit4philly.bsky.social asking for priority for diverted trolley riders in West Philly stuck in traffic — and SEPTA responded!

I finally got a Christmas tree! And of course, I got my #treebybike! 🎄🚴‍♂️ @bikeaction.org @bcgp.bsky.social @5thsqadvocacy.org

🎉 What a blast celebrating the 2025 Urbanist award winners! Huge thanks to everyone who made our holiday party unforgettable!

Thank you @5thsqadvocacy.org for the Urbanist Changemaker Award! I am glad I was able to send my acceptance speech as I am all over the place these days. As a small town Mayor-Elect, street safety, transit access and traffic calming are so important to a community. www.instagram.com/reel/DSL3yIR...

Honored to receive the 5th Square Advocacy Urbanist Lifetime Achievement Award! Calling it a “lifetime” award in my 40s feels ambitious, but I’ll happily take it as motivation to keep pushing for better cities, better policy, and better outcomes.

@5thsqadvocacy.org are cool people. I've never seen so many in SEPTA swag. Incredibly proud to be a member and happy to be there.

Our Holiday Party and Awards Ceremony is TONIGHT! Get your tickets here ⬇️ 5thsq.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/ne...

Really cool #WeekWithoutDriving comic about the reality of asking for rides. (The advocates at Philadelphia's @5thsqadvocacy.org are awesome!)

Nice Perk! Get yours too by becoming a member! Link ⬇️ www.5thsqadvocacy.org/Membership

“It’s a travesty that one deep-pocketed opponent has been able to block access to housing for over 100 families in my neighborhood for years. It’s more expensive than ever to rent or buy here, and this project would be a welcome change to its current use as a derelict warehouse.”

Harrisburg has, once again, failed to fund public transit. Agencies like SEPTA are forced to raid their capital funds to run daily service. This is akin to burning pieces of your house in the fireplace to keep warm.

As a former Philly-area teen (go Aces), I'm particularly excited for this book talk! The area holds a special place in my heart. It's where I started regularly riding transit by myself (the R5 into Center City & Amtrak to visit friends in MD), plus it's where I first got hit by a car while biking!

Join us and Transit Forward Philadelphia for a book talk with Author Carter Lavin THIS Thursday at 6 PM From safer streets to faster trains, the changes you want are possible—and transportation advocate Carter Lavin can show you how to make them real. RSVP⬇️ 5thsq.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/ne...

Secretary Duffy says that SEPTA management is to blame for the recent train fires. But the problem isn’t bad management — it’s bad math, and decades of underinvestment to transit agencies across the country, @5thsqadvocacy.org and @transit4philly.bsky.social argue.

Announcing 5th Square Advocacy! A new non-profit to house the work of urbanist grassroots organizing, issue advocacy, and engagement with elected officials — locally in Philly and statewide in Pennsylvania. Join us here ⬇️

Bringing intercity buses back to a proper terminal is a recognition that people deserve more than a curb under a highway overpass — they deserve shelter, dignity and respect.

This lack of safe infrastructure and this driver behavior is what led to the death of Dr. Barbara Friedes last year on the same street. These are not isolated incidents.

Absolutely deadly behavior causing another crash on Spruce Street at 5th st early this morning. This is on the busiest bike lane in Philly with over 1,500 riders who use it daily. We deserve so much better than paint and flexposts, we deserve real protection.

Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park has been engineered to remove most pedestrian crossings and amenities, to speed up traffic. A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north. 1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:

Someone on the @5thsq.org Slack asked about urbanist museums. I've been to a lot! I consider a museum "urbanist" if it tells the story of urban society or culture. Typically architecture, transit, and city museums meet that requirement. Here are the ones I've been to and recommend!

@5thsq.org is having its next meetup this coming Tuesday:) www.5thsq.org/sept2025

Hi @npr.org! We worked late tonight putting together this handy pocket guide! It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers. It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!

The wealthiest people in Philly have hijacked a local civic org and has effectively turned it into a funnel for money to fight roadway safety citywide. 😡

Take this post as our permission to wear this shirt all day, every day! Go Birds.

Thank you for putting together this SEPTA-themed burlesque and inviting us!

So after ALL that, it’s looking like we’re gonna have a budget without more transit funding.

Transit Tuesdays is kicking off at Republican Senator Picozzi’s office! Join riders citywide to push for SEPTA funding. Tuesday, August 19, 5:30 – 7pm EDT Senator Joe Picozzi's District Office 12361 Academy Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19154

Senate Majority Leader Pittman’s response to calls for transit funding.

We're just gonna say it: this proposal sucks! Our position is that this proposal is deeply unserious and doesn't contain a long-term funding solution for SEPTA. Raiding our capital dollars to pay for operations is a lose-lose proposition for everyone, not just Philly!

Another crash and injury on Spruce St. This one taking out a streetlight, an Indego bike corral, and sending another person to the hospital. Our city cannot prevent all reckless driving, but our city can provide for the safety of our most vulnerable. It’s time for concrete protection.

Looks like Harrisburg is really gonna let SEPTA fail.

Another crash & serious injury on Spruce St in Center City. There’s still no protection for people biking & walking, and reckless driving is as prevalent as ever. It’s beyond time for concrete protection. #concretenow @bcgp.bsky.social @bikeaction.org

One week in and it's clear who keeps this city running. The workers of DC 33 deserve a fair contract and workplace protections, and we stand with them.

Thank you @councilmemberjg.bsky.social! A budget without transit funding will utterly devastate our region.

We knew CHOP's proposed parking garage was bad for Grays Ferry. But we didn't know exactly how bad, or why CHOP assured everyone it wouldn't worsen traffic. Now through PA's Right-to-Know Law, 5th Square analyzed the traffic study and found numerous red flags. Read below: 5thsq.org/chop_garage_...

Our “HAHA… YES!” was premature. Let’s get these signs in the ground already!

Cuts to transit service are really an existential threat to so many in our region. Excellent reporting by @inquirer.com featuring our own Fae Ehsan & @sylviaodhner.bsky.social

Sickos: “HAHA… YES!”

I wrote an Op-Ed about SEPTA funding and how our Agency is actually one of the most efficient in the country with handling money. The last thing we need is for SEPTA to get defunded, enjoy the gift link 🤙

Guerrilla Urbanism at its best

Philadelphia eliminating parking minimums in Center City is a very good long-term decision. This may prove to be an important factor in revitalizing Market East.