Jon Geeting

Philadelphia

Engagement Director, Philadelphia 3.0 and Writer at Freelance

Fishtown dad, urbanist, writer, connector. Engagement director at @Phila3_0. Co-founder @5thsq

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Articles

Two Problems, One Solution — SEPTA

5 days ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

“Location, location, location” is a well-known real estate axiom, and the value of a particular building or piece of land is heavily influenced by the access it provides to different kinds of amenities and services. Among those services that affect housing prices is access to public transportation.
Is the H.O.M.E. Plan Being Held Hostage?

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

It’s been a busy few weeks for Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. plan rollout, with an all-day hearing in City Council last week, the release of the administration’s proposed spending plan, and a preview of their likely legislative agenda.
Save Lives With Corner Daylighting

3 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

As someone who’s been closely watching street safety and Vision Zero politics in Philly for the past decade, the last year under Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s leadership has brought about a strange and unfamiliar feeling in me: hope.
Let’s Expand - Not Cut - Free SEPTA for Workers

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

By now, it’s clear to anyone paying attention that SEPTA is in a crisis — what has been termed a “death spiral” — due to lack of ridership and accompanying lack of revenue. That’s why in the fall Governor Josh Shapiro flexed highway funds to SEPTA last fall after transit funding negotiations stalled in the Republican-controlled PA Senate, and why he has included more money for the agency in his proposed FY 2026 budget.
Mayor Parker’s Best Housing Ideas

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

In a rare special address to City Council on March 24, Mayor Cherelle Parker laid out more of the details of her administration’s Housing Opportunities Made Easy (H.O.M.E.) plan, the largest-ever public investment in housing in Philadelphia’s history. With a commendable emphasis on urgency and results, the Parker administration’s $2 billion plan aims to create 13,500 new homes to buy or rent, and preserve 16,500 existing homes, adding up to her campaign pledge of 30,000.
Want More Housing? Fix the Land Bank

1 month ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

With negotiations underway for Mayor Parker’s Mission 30,000 initiative to build and preserve 30,000 homes in Philadelphia, one particular City program is primed to have its heyday: The Land Bank. Established by City Council in 2012, the Land Bank was intended to speed up and ease the process of selling acres of city land to developers to build much-needed moderately-priced homes, alongside community uses like gardens and public spaces.
Are We on the Path to Affordable Homes for All?

2 months ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

There’s a certain brilliance to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Mission 30,000 initiative as a political focal point for Philadelphia’s housing debates. During the 2023 Mayoral campaign, then-Councilmember Parker pledged to preside over the creation and preservation of 30,000 homes during her term, one of the main measurable goals she outlined before winning the election.
Why 76 Place is a Boon For SEPTA

Dec 19, 2024 | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

The public debate over the proposed 76 Place has been disorienting for many of us who care about smarter urban development and growing public transit ridership. A broad desire to increase density around public transit, especially in Center City, has been replaced by a focus on the appearance of a subway station. Voices praising the additional transit ridership potential have been drowned out by arguments about increased costs.
After legislative failure, Gov. Shapiro should ensure transit funding success

Oct 28, 2024 | inquirer.com | Jon Geeting |Alex Armlovich

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate Republicans in the General Assembly have failed to reach a deal on critical transit funding before the end of the legislative session. Without a solution, the commonwealth’s 57 transit agencies — carrying almost a million daily passengers — face double-digit service cuts and fare increases. Fortunately, the governor still has several powerful levers he can pull to provide much — though not necessarily all — of the funding.
Housing for the Poorest? Or for Middle Class Philadelphians?

Sep 20, 2023 | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

How should city government stack its priorities when it comes to affordable housing spending in Philadelphia? Disagreements over the right answer to this question have driven a lot of the action behind various City Council housing debates over the years, and last week activists with the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities opened a new front in the debate by calling for half of public-sector housing spending to be targeted toward city residents making $25,000 or less.