Philadelphia is embarking on a risky $295 million urban renewal project to demolish 14,000 abandoned homes and replace vacant lots with urban prairie.
Philadelphia embarked last week on a $295 million, five-year plan to demolish 14,000 largely abandoned homes, renovate 2,500 buildings and clear 31,000 vacant lots. Urban prairie will replace acres of vacant redbrick row houses and ghostly Victorian shells.Given clear title to tracts of this newly cleared land, private developers will step in and rebuild -- or, at least, such is the hope of city officials.
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Raze of Sunshine in Philadelphia?

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws
One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy
The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.
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