The Philadelphia Citizen

The Philadelphia Citizen is a non-profit and non-partisan media outlet with a twofold mission: to deliver in-depth journalism that highlights actionable solutions to advance our community, and to inspire active citizenship in the Philadelphia area. We aim to showcase innovators, challenge those hindering progress, and highlight the emerging leaders of Philadelphia, all while equipping residents with the interactive tools necessary for greater civic engagement. Philadelphia requires more than just another news source; it demands journalism that prioritizes solutions we can collectively implement. It calls for a movement of citizens who are determined to reclaim leadership from a political class often marked by a troubling transactional mentality.

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When Philanthropists Match Their Investments With Their Values

3 days ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

The nonprofit Merchants Fund has given out more than $10 million in grants to small businesses facing financial hardship since 2007 as part of its mission to support small businesses and create a vibrant business community in Philadelphia — particularly one that is diverse, with small businesses owned by women, people of color and immigrants.
Good Things to Do Down the Shore

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Olivia Kram |Lauren McCutcheon |Gianna Voges

Do Something One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.
Why Philly Should Care About the NYC Mayor's Race

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Larry Platt

If, like me, you have no life and spent a total of nearly six hours these last couple of weeks watching the New York City mayoral primary debates, you saw quite a show, with great, quirky characters.
Why “No Kings” Was My First Protest

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Linn Washington Jr.

During decades of working as a reporter, I’ve attended hundreds of protests around America and abroad, providing news coverage about those events. During the recent nationwide day of “No Kings” protests, I did something I haven’t done since becoming a journalist in 1975: attend a protest as a participant, not as a reporter.
In Defense of Market-Rate Housing

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jon Geeting

As part of Mayor Parker’s H.O.M.E. plan and related efforts, many of our elected officials have emphasized the need to build more capital-A Affordable Housing, while dismissing the value of market-rate housing to their cause. That’s a mistake. There’s no logical reason why a preference for affordable housing has to be paired with an attitude of ambivalence or outright hostility to market-rate development.
Meet the 2025 Rad Award Nominees

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Do Something Join us Wednesday, July 30 from 6:30 to 9:30pm to celebrate the finalists and announce the winners. Last year’s event turned up the heat! Literally. This year, we’ll celebrate Rad nominees in Fitler Club’s Ballroom featuring blissful A/C, a breezy garden and ample space to strut your stuff at 1 S. 24th Street, Philadelphia.
Mazzie Casher and the Opposite of the Philly Shrug

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Malcolm Burnley

In 1684, William Penn prayed for the salvation of the two-year-old city of Philadelphia, which was suffering from crime and poverty. Tensions were high and Penn didn’t think the city was living up to its promise of being a place of religious freedom and Brotherly Love.
Philly Builds Credit

1 week ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Courtney DuChene

Nearly have no credit. With no credit — really, no credit score — you can’t get a credit card, buy a car or a home, rent an apartment, get a loan, or, in many cases, get a job. As of 2023, the average credit score for Philadelphians was 669, just above the minimum to qualify as “” or good enough to receive a loan.
Is the 2026 Budget for Philadelphia a Mayor Misdiagnosis?

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Larry Platt

It’s a little hard these days to wrap your head around the news at all levels, no? So much flooding of so many zones. Locally, that fog of war feeling has trickled down. Don’t get me wrong: There are no villains here, no assaults on democratic values. But there is nonetheless a lack of clarity on the issues of the day.
Have An Idea to Scale?

2 weeks ago | thephiladelphiacitizen.org | Jessica Blatt Press

If you’ve spent any time following The Citizen, you know that one of our signature programs is Ideas We Should Steal, which lives as both a column on our website, and as a beloved annual Festival. Both cast a spotlight on unique ideas outside of Philadelphia that are having an impact on problems our city also faces – and explore if and how Philly could potentially adopt and adapt similar solutions.