The Philadelphia Citizen

3 days ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Kaitlyn Oliveri was perhaps a bit more excited than most college students for her graduation year. Her senior year of high school came during Covid. Many of the plans she had for celebrating the milestone had to go on hold; the pandemic prevented gathering for an in-person commencement. So, even as Oliveri started at University of the Arts in the fall of 2021, she looked forward to her last day there. Not that she was rushing things.

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Malcolm Burnley

President Donald Trump often claims that government workers are lazy, dishonest and corrupt. But there’s another side to the story. For every bad apple, there are countless public sector workers passionately (and, more often than not, thanklessly) working in pursuit of a more perfect union. Five years ago, the Integrity Icon Awards began as an effort to “name and fame” these unsung heroes.

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

Do Something If we only reach out to complain, what works can slip past the radar. Find out who represents you on the City Council and reach out to let them know you want the city to invest in making Open Streets more frequent and in more neighborhoods. Here you can find instructions on how to sign up to comment on Council meetings and how to speak at public hearings.

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Larry Platt

Here in Trumpistan (nee America), there’s a debate roiling about the strategic future of the Democratic Party that has lately come into sharp relief at the polls in state and local elections throughout the country. Before a travelogue to read the political tea leaves, a note about the larger trend it all reveals. In the past, I’ve defined the divide, both in Philly and, now, inside the Democratic Party, as Progressives versus Reformers. You can also call it the Activists versus the Nerds.

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Malcolm Burnley

Developers, politicians, and city planners often promote an idealized version of urban living where every resident has easy access to amenities and services within close proximity to their homes. But in how many places has that vision been achieved, especially for residents lower down the economic ladder? In recent years, the term “15-minute city” (or at times, the 20-minute neighborhood) has been popularized to achieve better results.