Another Record Year for Demolitions in 2019

The headline about Philadelphia demolitions looks pretty similar to one in 2018.

1 minute read

December 22, 2019, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Demolition

Tupungato / Shutterstock

"Philadelphia real estate developers sought to tear down more buildings in 2019 than any other year on recent record," reports Ryan Briggs.

"With two weeks left in the year, records from the Department of Licenses & Inspections showed 543 demolition permits had been issued to private developers over the past year. That’s up from 514 in 2018 and more than any year since 2007, which is as far back as L&I has digitized its permit records."

Additional demolition permit requests by the city bring that total annual 941—more than the previous record-setting total set in 2018. CBRE real estate analyst Joseph Gibson is quoted in the article tying the large number of demolitions to demand for new residential and commercial space.

Buildings weren't the only things vanishing from Philadelphia this year. Earlier in December, news coverage also focused on the number of trees removed in the city in 2019.

Thursday, December 19, 2019 in WHYY

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Family wearing helmets rides down separated bike trail in city.

Proposed Bill Would Direct Funds to Road Safety

The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act was spurred by the death of a U.S. diplomat who was killed on her bicycle.

5 seconds ago - Bethesda Magazine

Rendering of National Public Housing Museum in brick building in Chicago, Illinois.

Museum of Public Housing Opens in Chicago

The museum highlights the history of public housing in the United States using displays intimately woven with family artifacts.

1 hour ago - Block Club Chicago

Close-up on handmade sign being held up at protest "Housing is a human right"

HUD Ordered to Release Grant Funds After Anti-DEI Clawback

A federal judge ruled in favor of fair housing groups after the Trump administration tried to rescind housing grants.

2 hours ago - CommonWealth Beacon