Look at you, Philly! You got through the year — and it wasn’t all bad. In fact, some of it was downright … spectacular. Let’s review.

Philadelphia’s status as the nation’s poorest big city is a major cause of its gunfire.

A Temple researcher’s work is on track to radically change pain management and the opioid crisis forever

Gunfire in Philadelphia has taken grandfathers, brothers, cousins, and children. The losses reflect what’s at the root of America’s shooting epidemic

When Benefits Data Trust closed earlier this year, some experts foresaw a calamitous impact on public benefits access. Now nonprofits are stepping up to stop that from happening

Mayor Parker’s Clean and Green initiative is a great slogan and even a potential game changer. But what about cleaning up local government?

As a young man, Spel was one of Philadelphia’s most-recognized graffiti writers. Since 1990, he’s been restricted to making art behind bars, incarcerated for a crime that he says he did not commit. The next in our Art for Change series

The iconic chef, photographer and brand maker meets up with a Philadelphia wood burning artist known for his portraits of Eagles, Phillies, dogs and, on occasion, beer

Drexel’s Metro Finance director on the return of “New Localism” in the second age of Trump

A monument to civil rights icon Sadie Alexander, planned for where Mayor Frank Rizzo’s used to stand, would be only the third statue of a real-life Black Philadelphian on public view

Senator Casey’s desperate attempt to keep his seat and his silence while supporters mimicked Trump-like rationale was not a good look

In a post-election special of our podcast, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed break down what the hell just happened — and where cities go from here

Homicides are down more than 45 percent this year, while all shootings have dropped more than 35 percent. How did that happen — and who is most affected?

The fall of progressivism. The rise of Joe Rogan. The score-settling of Bob Brady. The philosophy of Marcus Aurelius…trying to make sense of Tuesday’s Great Realignment

Author Batya Ungar-Sargon and former PA Congressman Patrick Murphy will talk about the underappreciated voters who may have decided the 2024 election at our festival on November 15

Chester County’s re-elected Democratic representative reminds other disappointed voters of what matters most: Grieve. Then get back to work.

We cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election, with Philly panache and optimism

Philly is the center of the political universe — just ask DeNiro, Musk, DiCaprio and all the folks who’ve moved here from around the world to get out the vote for both candidates

Voting divisions in Northwest Philly have among the most engaged voters in the city — including, in one division, 90 percent turnout. The reason is not what you might think

A longtime election worker and now City Council staffer pushes back on false narratives that harm our democratic process — and explains how Philly’s voting machines really work

While some talk of boycotting the Main Line Jewish deli that is the setting of a new Trump ad, the real question ought to be: Does the commercial perpetuate cringeworthy Jewish caricature?

Hint: It has to do with character, competence and commitment

Will PA join 43 other states that start processing mail-in ballots before Election Day in time to avoid uncertainty over the 2024 Presidential election?

Princeton journalism students investigate. Here’s what they learned

Can Pennsylvania protect the environment and jobs? Princeton journalism students investigated how the major party federal and statewide candidates navigate this question. Here’s what they learned

In this week’s New Jersey U.S. Senate race debate, did the Republican candidate — pro-choice, pro growth, gay hotelier Curtis Bashaw — offer a glimpse of what a return to reasonableness might look like, post-Trumpism?

Pennsylvanians are divided on the issue of gun safety regulations — as are young people. A group of Princeton students lays out the major party candidates’ views

How to Really Run a City with Devin Cotten, founder and CEO, Universal Basic Employment and Opportunity Initiative

Twenty years ago, the Commonwealth dug itself out of a crisis that put new mothers at risk of illness or death. Signs of trouble are back in Pennsylvania, which could look to California and other states for a solution

Young voters want better funding for public education and lower student loan debt. A group of Princeton students lays out the views of 2024 major party candidates for president, U.S. senator for PA, PA attorney general, PA auditor general and PA treasurer

Tim Walz’s subpar debate performance should have Democratic insiders looking at Harrisburg and wondering what could have been had Gov. Shapiro been on that stage

A Harrowgate resident has spent years advocating for the people who actually live in the neighborhood. Here’s what she wants to see from the City

Is Ted Passon, co-director of Philly D.A. and creator of the new Hulu documentary rom-com Patrice: The Movie, just a South Jersey guy who got lucky — or a humble visionary who just so happens to collab with the likes of Alex De Corte and Tierra Whack?

The University of the Arts closure was a shock — but perhaps it shouldn’t have been

What’s happening to people is more worrisome than the fate of office buildings. An urbanist has city-centric solutions.

One Temple grad student’s ongoing reservations about the vice president, even after a somewhat up-close view of the candidate’s NABJ interview in Philadelphia

PA legislators are trying to legalize recreational marijuana and create industry opportunities for Pennsyvanians affected by the war on drugs. Is there an easy first step they could pass before the end of the year?

In the new episode of How to Really Run a City, former Mayors Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter of Philadelphia talk with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott

A crew of civic-minded hospital professionals are making sure patients unexpectedly hospitalized on Election Day can cast ballots. The effort, they say, is healing in itself.

Local social justice advocates and a University City state rep want to follow Michigan’s lead and register people convicted of felonies upon release from incarceration. Such legislation could swing elections.

Beyond the horserace and political implications of this week’s presidential debate, Harris’ unmasking of Trump’s craven indecency may just be the thing that history remembers

Penn students traveled all over Pennsylvania this summer to prove political empathy isn’t dead. (And find out what they learned at a Citizen event on September 17.)

Sonya Clark’s video installation, The Descendants of Monticello explores what freedom means from the panes of Declaration House historical site

The style icon and photographer talks undergarments with the owner of a popular intimates boutique and a jewelry concept shop on Main Street in Manayunk

A former Philadelphia mayor once again beseeches next week’s moderators — ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis — to ask questions that test basic knowledge … and fact-check!

The CEO of Kensington’s B Corp developer Shift Capital lays out strategies to simultaneously support business growth and strengthen the neighborhood’s existing assets.

A local public elementary school teacher on what the Philly-based sitcom misses — and what teachers really need

For two years The Citizen has chronicled win-win sports developments around the country. In light of the long-awaited feasibility study on a proposed Center City Sixers arena, here are some ideas Philly should consider stealing

The midwestern city has gone from bankrupt to transformational growth by embracing innovation and bling. Here, some ideas Philly might steal from Motor City

The Philly doctor became a household name for her efforts to give Black Philadelphians access to Covid testing and vaccines. Here, she talks about her new book on her fight for equity in medicine — and what she’d hope to see from a Harris presidency

AR Spruce, led by Maleda Berhane, demonstrates how real estate development can — and should — incorporate more people from more backgrounds to remake our city

Yes, we're still a city of cheesesteaks and Iggles. But we're also curing cancer and rebuilding a stagnant economy through the life sciences. How'd this happen?

Over 1,000 high schoolers participated in the first Philly Service Award program last year, showcasing the impact teenagers can have on their communities. Another cohort will kick off this fall

Labor leader and convicted felon John Dougherty has been sentenced to prison, but the corrupt culture he dominated still lives, abetted by a judge’s soft sentences, an ethically blind Councilmember, and a shrugging citizenry.

In the latest episode of our podcast, former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed explore an idea New Jersey legislator Bonnie Watson Coleman and comedian Chris Rock have in common

Amidst last week’s rally of 14,000 people featuring Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, there was something missing: Any mention of race from the Dems’ presidential ticket

In the first episode of a new Citizen podcast about the survivors and co-victims of gun violence, we meet Laura Madeleine, who turned her terror over a school shooting into the Soul Shots Portrait Project. The seventh exhibition of the Philadelphia chapter is on display until August 27

Call it the new economic geography. Drexel’s Metro Finance head on how some U.S. cities are moving toward healing through economic diversity, cultural growth, and physical rebuild

The three-year-old “Lyft for litter” is an essential, ethical solution to Philadelphia’s ongoing trash problem on 700 blocks. If only the City would hire them to expand everywhere

Progressives targeted Josh Shapiro in the VP sweepstakes. What does that mean for PA … and the country?

Cheap backpacks that fall apart by October? A Philadelphia public school teacher advises charitable donors to choose quality over quantity

It’s getting hotter. We need to start planning for it.

The Philly writer wants more women to be authors. She’s partnered with a local arts nonprofit to make it happen.

Trump’s true legacy has been to retire conventional wisdom and turn politics into pop culture spectacle. Does our Governor help Harris answer in kind?

Sculptor, painter, and street artist NDA has taken over a floor of Old City’s Paradigm Gallery with an intentionally “overwhelming” installation that invites exploration, curiosity, and audience collaboration. The latest in a series with Forman Arts Initiative.

A former Inquirer photojournalist spent more than 30 years photographing Black cowboys across the country — including here in Philadelphia. Here, an excerpt from his new book

In the latest episode of our podcast, former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed talk to education reformer and former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza on what students really need … now.

The first-term governor is expected to be on the shortlist for Vice Presidential candidate on a Kamala Harris ticket. Here’s what that might mean

And, is it any surprise that legislation on the matter remains stuck in limbo in Harrisburg?

Bringing city workers back sends an important "open for business" message. But a new report shows Philly lagging behind in adjusting to work from home. Is now the time for a broad economic revival plan?

Three bikers and pedestrians were hit by cars this week in Philly — two fatally — because our roads are unsafe. Here, recommendations to fix that

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ local CEO is spearheading the group’s first efforts in Philadelphia schools, with the aim of providing every middle schooler with a much-needed mentor

It turns out Philly already has a great candidate to replace the Greyhound station that abruptly closed last year — and an excellent model a few states away for how to make it happen

A national retail expert and futurist visited Philadelphia to check out our premier shopping district. This is what he learned

The appointment of Philadelphia’s preeminent change maker to lead Temple University has the potential to disrupt Philadelphia’s status quo — an outcome rooted in the eloquent example of his unlikely hero

This month’s U.S. Olympic rowing team looks how the sport has always looked: entirely White. Three accessible rowing camps in Philly are looking to change that

There is no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the trash piling up in cities — but maybe there should be.

A longtime university president proposes turning the university’s Center City buildings into an arts community that would make the city a destination for practicing artists

How cities prep for major happenings — like the country’s 250th anniversary, here in Philly in 2026 — matters just as much (if not more) than how the events themselves go

It’s all hands on deck this year to ensure Philadelphia voter turnout is the highest it can be. Here’s how you can help.

UArts. Benefits Data Trust. The Free Library Author Series. Resources for Human Development … Is the nonprofit sector imploding? What the hell’s going on?

While women’s reproductive health is under attack across the country, a Philly company supported by actress Kerry Washington aims to destigmatize and demystify women’s sexual health products

Several states and New York City offer tax relief to landlords who create child-care facilities. Could a similar policy help bring workers back to Center City?

City Council’s task force faces a daunting task: How do you close our opportunity and wealth gaps without alienating key parts of a fragile coalition? Devin Cotten's Cleveland pilot might have an answer

In part two of How To Really Run a City, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter hear more rhetorical gems from bestselling author and public intellectual Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, including Dyson’s soulful election theories

Philadelphia is among a group of cities that received funding to answer that question — and to come up with ways to address it

These are the badass women — and allies — on the short list for the first post-pandemic Rad Awards. Join The Citizen and Rad Girls to celebrate the winners on July 17

The New York-based retailer’s new Center City shop brings stylish slow fashion to working women — just in time for city workers to return to the office. The company is also helping women run for office, get jobs and save the planet

In advance of the Trump/Biden presidential debate, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter shares some thoughts on a way to get the answers we really need to hear from the candidates

Mayor Parker is mandating all city employees work in person starting next month. City Council is pushing back. Is government ever going to be ready to return to office?

The 550 women executives in the 45-year-old Chicago Network are changing their city for the better — and creating opportunities for even more women leaders. There is no better moment for a similar effort in Philadelphia. (That’s also why we’re relaunching Rad Girls!)

Deborah Gordon Klehr oversaw the Education Law Center’s successful case mandating better funding of public schools throughout the state. But it’s her work outside the courtroom that has been indispensable for Pennsylvania students

Progressive Councilmembers Thomas, Gauthier, O'Rourke and Brooks protested them. Jay-Z begged to differ. And Mayor Parker tried to bring folks together. Who’s got students’ backs? A week on the frontlines of the school choice wars

In the latest episode of How To Really Run a City, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter talk with bestselling author and public intellectual Michael Eric Dyson, who has some advice for President Biden

For more than a decade, City of Elderly Love has given Philadelphia’s oldest and therefore least adoptable dogs and cats the life-changing possibility of living out their golden years in comfort

The “gender pain gap” leaves women to needlessly suffer. Here’s what that means — and what hospitals can do about it

It’s not just downtown real estate and higher education at stake, a longtime Philly arts writer observes. The collapse of the 150-year old institution cuts at the heart of what makes our city beautiful

A public intellectual and former Penn professor on how Black women are once again getting the short end of the sports media narrative

For more than two decades, Roberta Fallon’s Artblog has amplified Philadelphia art and artists — work that is more important than ever. The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative

The 150-year-old institution has left students, faculty and the city reeling. A longtime university president joins in the call for an immediate independent investigation

A confluence of factors and unique political talents explains Governor Josh Shapiro’s astounding popularity in the polls — even among those with whom he disagrees

The City’s Turn The Key workforce housing program has gained admirers for building homes affordable to middle income families. But can it really be the centerpiece of the city’s housing plan?

Caring for children often forces women to skip doctor’s appointments, take lower-paying jobs and carry extra stress that is bad for their health. A statewide New Mexico initiative may provide the answer

Want to make a real, tangible, immediate impact? Look no further than your own block

One of the 120,000 living members of the Greatest Generation turns 99 this year. For Memorial Day, he talks to the Citizen’s co-founder about his secret to longevity (hint: martinis) and about saving America … then and now

It’s not enough to just cast your own ballot in 2024. We must also work to get all eligible Philadelphians to vote — or risk losing our democracy as we know it. Here’s how you can join The Citizen in that effort

As she was writing Housemates, her new novel about creating art, Emma Copley Eisenberg helped start and foster an organization that makes it a little easier to create art in Philadelphia

Nationwide, transit ridership remains down from pre-pandemic levels. Is London’s Superloop an idea we should steal?

The Citizen is partnering with the original rad girl, Leah Kauffman, to bring back her annual celebration of kickass Philadelphia women who are making this rad city even more rad for all

A local photographer’s new book features the “rich beauty” of the athletes, trainers and family of West Philly’s James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym.

The twice tried and ultimately acquitted Council president has the unique opportunity to reform the scourge of councilmanic prerogative … and finally make us One City

On the latest episode of How To Really Run A City, former mayors Michael Nutter and Kasim Reed catch up with Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. NEW this episode: Watch the conversation

The rap battle everyone is talking about is really about race, identity, Black/Jewish relations, and this American moment. A Citizen exclusive from a bestselling author and public intellectual.

Phoebe Bachman builds opportunities for collaboration and civic engagement, including a pop-up space that artistically re-imagines the City’s budget office, open now at LOVE Park. The latest in a series with Forman Arts Initiative.

A new cohort of Spanish-speaking peer mental health specialists is ready to provide real-time support for the Philadelphia population who most needs it

Across the state and country, programs are connecting those in need of companionship and income with those who need affordable housing. Why is Philly’s version struggling?

Lifelong North Philadelphian John Solomon uses his own experiences to help young people in his community escape the cycle of gun violence

Checking in with a writer and photographer at Penn’s Daily Pennsylvanian, on covering protests, a presidential resignation and the pro-Gaza encampment on campus this year

This Teacher Appreciation Week, a longtime university president urges Philadelphians to celebrate educators — but to also support the teaching profession

Follow our guide to outdoor dining in Philly to discover spots around town for delicious food and drink in gardens, on tucked-away patios and other Insta-worthy surrounds

The Parker administration has touted a “new approach” to clean and green Philly. More than 100 days in, Philly’s former litter czar sees the same old-same old — and offers concrete ideas for positive change

Professors and local pols like progressive Councilmembers Gauthier, Brooks and O’Rourke say they want to support Penn students’ rights to peaceful protest. But does their support of Gaza encampments turn a moral blind eye?

When government was slow to help Wilmington, DE residents hit by Hurricane Ida, one woman stepped up with a grassroots disaster response team that is now a permanent fixture. Could a similar program help underserved Philly communities at climate risk?

A C+ school for the win.

The chef and photographer catches up with the former NBA player and current Sixers TV analyst, world traveler, fitness devotee and fashion plate

Recycling in Philly is broken. Here’s how Mayor Parker’s administration could fix it.

The April 23 race includes important Attorney General, State Auditor and Senate races. Oh yeah, and that Presidential thing

In Milwaukee, a sports arena deal has led to a pro-growth, pro-union, working class, cross-racial revival. Could it be a model for all development in Philly?

The three-year-old Body Empowerment Project has helped students in 17 Philadelphia schools accept — and embrace — their physical selves this year. Support their work at their year-end party on April 25

George Matysik has led Philly’s Share Food Program to become the largest hunger relief organization in the region. So why does he think he shouldn’t have the job at all?

Philadelphians' skepticism about the City’s waste policies has led to an abysmal recycling rate. Here’s what really happens after you put out your blue bin — and how the City could do more

Charging real-time, demand-based surge and discount pricing works for Uber and Amtrak. Could it work for other Philly services?

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker talks to our podcast hosts, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, about how she’s guiding her Texas city through a population boom that benefits everyone. Hint: It’s just common sense

The Forman Arts Initiative hired its first executive director, Adjoa Jones de Almeida, to shape their vision for an exhibit and engagement space centering their vast art collection and local community. Just don’t call it a museum

South Bend, Indiana proactively boosted resident feedback in its budget season through its 311 line and by meeting citizens where they are. Could the same efforts in Philly create a budget that reflects residents’ priorities?

A West Philly native turned a life-changing disability into a lifetime of advocacy, speaking up for Philadelphians in need — and encouraging others to speak up for themselves

How and where to safely — and for free — experience the rare celestial event in Philadelphia

In California, Colorado and other states, Extended Producer Responsibility laws help fund recycling efforts in underserved communities. Could a similar rule improve Philadelphia's trash problem?

In her new Philly novel, bestselling author and podcaster Jo Piazza explores a century-old murder, women’s strengths — and her own unresolved family mystery. Then, she turned it into a true crime podcast

Michael Smerconish published a report last week on swing state voters’ fear about immigrants. But, the Welcoming Center’s President/CEO points out, the facts tell a different story

because it does. And this year’s election may prove that

The newest episode of our How to Really Run a City podcast finds the mayors exploring the power of investing in Black and Brown entrepreneurs with evangelist for inclusive growth Della Clark and Michele Lawrence of JP Morgan Chase

Pap Souleye Fall plays with serious themes in multifarious spaces — comic cons, a waste recycling facility — the next in our series with Forman Arts Initiative

Homelessness can cut life expectancy by 20 years, in part because of health issues that particularly affect women. A new Project HOME safe haven offers women a place to heal

The progressive prosecutor movement is losing momentum. Its poster boy may have to adjust to a new political zeitgeist

The fate of the 76ers arena rests on one person’s shoulders (hint: it’s not our new mayor). Is this any way to run a city?

Fiber artist Cait McCormack’s sculptures defy expectations of what can be done within the centuries-old tradition of crochet. The latest in a collaboration with Forman Arts Initiative.

SEPTA didn’t expand its pilot with Conshohocken's ZeroEyes, which manages AI gun-detection technology. How will the City keep riders safe after a surge of gunfire this March?

The president of the Strawberry Mansion CDC champions the neighborhood’s history — while looking toward a future inclusive of smart development

Checking in with former Governor Tom Corbett, who spent 10 years as attorney general, on the one question he would ask this year’s AG candidates at our March 25 forum

Mural Arts Philadelphia and First Person Arts have partnered on a community project that explores the pain of suicide through theater and art. See the performance on March 16

The newest episode of our How to Really Run a City podcast welcomes New York Times journalist and documentarian Charles Blow

West Philly non-profit Books Through Bars has provided the incarcerated with books for more than 30 years. Now, with growing inaccessibility, its work is needed more than ever

The office of Attorney General might be the last line of defense for the Commonwealth against oncoming autocracy. So shouldn’t we pay attention to the candidates who want the job?

Signs of progress abound in public education, a longtime university president muses — but there is still work to be done

Can Philadelphia develop our way out of an affordable housing crisis? This week, The Citizen gathered experts on the matter to work out the answer to that very big question

The city’s apostle of Black and Brown entrepreneurship was joined by Mayor Parker and Patti LaBelle to kick off a 22-city tour highlighting her message of equitable economic empowerment. The Citizen will report the lessons learned from every stop.

An Abington community “connector” has drawn her neighbors into “the greatest opportunity in the world:” the effort to support refugee families emigrating to the United States

The pandemic decimated in-person attendance for traditional cultural institutions nationwide. Can Philly’s arts establishment slow its downfall?

Does Governor Shapiro have a winning argument for Biden and the Dems in the fall? Judging by how many are borrowing it from him, yes

Earlier this month, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal showcased how public officials should not deploy Artificial Intelligence. But like other cities, we can harness the new technology for good

Eighteen months after Philly’s first Nighttime Economy Director took up his post, the industry that generates $2.5 billion in wages is still waiting for help. Will Cherelle Parker hear their pleas?

Half of older Philadelphians live alone, putting women at especially higher risk of emotional and physical illnesses. Manayunk-based Connectedly combats that social isolation in our city and region

Judge Jeffrey Schmehl’s lax sentencing this week of John Dougherty’s co-conspirators is a reminder that corruption flourishes when punishment meets the Philly Shrug

Noise pollution adversely affects marginalized communities in Philly and other cities. Is there a way to find peace and quiet here?

In going from art student to sculptor to ceramicist to curator to podcaster, Gerald Brown has been an advocate for and supporter of Black and Brown artistry — and a keen observer of the artistic process

Thanks to the efforts led by Drexel’s undergraduate student president, the university will for the first time give students the day off for voting and engagement on Election Day 2024, the latest in a string of election advocacy successes.

As building has begun on the long-awaited park over I-95 along the Delaware River, the director of the William Penn Foundation lays out how we got here and why the process is a model for major development in the city

Philly is blowing its chance to use its federal rescue funds to directly address intractable problems. Will Mayor Parker’s new budget follow Governor Shapiro’s blueprint and propose an “invest and grow” plan?

Lots of kids feel socially isolated — especially at lunchtime. A national movement is working to change that, today

At 25, Philadelphia artist Nazeer Sabree has gained a national reputation for his complicated portraits of young Black men and women. The next in a collaboration with Forman Arts Initiative

Will the push to unionize small local coffee shops in Philly signal the death knell of the neighborhood cafe?

The design for the Municipal Services Building plaza is like too many of our public spaces: bland and uncomfortable. Here, some ways we could do better

Neither Mayor Parker, Council President Johnson nor Council Majority Leader Gilmore Richardson have CEO experience. How are they going to make the switch from legislating to leading?

The iconic brand-maker, photographer, chef and Philadelphian talks to an Italian American father and son with side-by-side market and hoagie shops

Last month’s annual count of unhoused people helps determine federal funding for some of our most vulnerable citizens. So why isn’t it more accurate?

A long-time university president applauds the city-based public research university’s new plan for free tuition and fees — the Temple Promise — for Philly families who earn below an income threshold

A veteran Philadelphia social studies teacher wrote a new book about Black Philadelphia history. Here, an excerpt from a chapter featuring Washington, aka Congo, Square

Voter turnout in the biggest city of our key swing state is trending dangerously downward. Is Philly about to end democracy after saving it four years ago? Governor Shapiro has a warning for us

Heart disease, which kills one in three women every year, is the number one cause of death in the United States. Temple cardiologist Deborah Crabbe is on a mission to change that.

A pair of Penn alums are partnering with a Grays Ferry community group to open a fresh food market that will provide healthy cooked meals to SNAP recipients. Might this revolutionize nutrition access?

Governor Shapiro’s vision for the state college system offers a path for more residents to get the education they need. A long-time university president lays out why it matters

DeJeonge Reese’s art grapples with culture, history and the ways Black women have long faced discrimination.

While student protestors and bullying Trustees at Penn continue shedding far more heat than light, there’s a different story at neighbor Drexel. Why?

The Penn Medicine physician turned his five near-death experiences into a mission to save the lives of people suffering from humanity’s 12,000 known diseases. Is it any wonder, then, that Fajgenbaum is our Citizen of the Year?

A government strategist has a radical idea for the historic park at the heart of a recent controversy over its William Penn statue

An educator and community organizer urges state legislators to pass a bill to raise awareness of, funding for and police integration with mental health service hotline 988

Forget kid-friendly cities. A city that answers to the needs of parents helps all residents, young and old

On the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a local Democratic Congresswoman warns of what’s at stake in 2024: Pennsylvanians’ rights

Shuja Moore’s short film about the benefits — to all of us — of pardons for returning citizens screens Monday in West Philly

The finance CEO and labor leader are determined to make Philadelphia the most equitable, fastest growing big city in America together.

The chef / photographer reconnects with an old muse, and finds a kindred spirit — a fellow artist and polymath with deep Philly roots and an eye for what’s next

Whether he’s allowing local architecture to inspire his intricate cut paper artworks or designing street art to fit into unexpected spaces, artist Joe Boruchow keeps a close eye on Philadelphia.

… is to buy it. Here’s how Philadelphia could do that

Climate change, mass attacks and environmental catastrophes have caused death and destruction nationwide. Here’s how our city is preparing for the unthinkable

Asylum seekers can solve our country’s — and city’s — labor shortage. But only, the head of a Philadelphia refugee support group says, if Congress lets them

The A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Social Justice Champion spent 27 years in prison before a Supreme Court ruling set him free. Now, he teaches about criminal justice at Penn and heads the Abolitionist Law Center

In an excerpt from the bestselling King: A Life, the iconic moral leader attends Chester’s Crozer Theological Seminary, takes part in his first civil rights confrontation (in a Maple Shade, New Jersey bar!) and loses his heart … to a White woman

When the $38 million state-of-the-art Philly Youth Basketball facility opens next week, it will be thanks to an 80-year-old, prank-pulling, courtside-sitting cult figure. And then there’s the time he was tossed from an NBA game…

One diehard Birds fan believes Philly can — and should — channel all our anxiety and adrenaline into a win on Monday night. (It’s worked before.)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a perfect opportunity to engage with other Philadelphia citizens on civic projects that matter. Volunteer. Visit a museum. Build peace

Join us on January 30 to honor the Project HOME pioneers with a Lifetime Achievement Award

Ten years ago, Mayor Nutter launched an out-of-the-box, internally viral program to help city workers solve problems through cutting-edge collaboration and creativity. How’s all that going?

The Citizen’s Educator of the Year is a four language-speaking, music-playing, digital media expert who also loves to share his passion for gardens. He’s inspiring students across the city to make their voices heard

Is the new president of Philadelphia City Council a new boss, or same as the old boss?

Could 2024 be the year our colleges and universities do more for Philadelphia students and for democracy? A long-time university president thinks it has to be

For his decades-long commitment to making Center City safe, clean and welcoming to all of us, the outgoing Center City District president is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award

Meet all 17 members of the city's legislative body, representing Philly at-large and by district

Philadelphians invented Girl Scout Cookies, bubblegum, the American schoolhouse, the computer — and the research that led to Covid-19 vaccines. Here are ways to celebrate the many firsts from our city on the first of this new year

The Mummers Parade started with Fancy Divisions. Only one such club remains. Their plan to survive: inclusiveness.

If you missed an episode of our acclaimed podcast How to Really Run a City, take heart: Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt is here with a 2023 highlight reel.

Win or lose on the field, Philadelphia athletes and teams continued to make us proud in 2023 with their extracurricular commitment to community.

A conventional wisdom is taking hold on the legacy of the outgoing mayor. But was it really the pandemic and second term factors beyond his control that did him in?

The Citizen’s 2023 Block Captain of the Year gets her neighbors to vote in record numbers, and makes sure the block isn’t just clean — it’s beautiful.

Galen Gibson-Cornell tears posters off of city streets, shreds them into thin strips and weaves them back together to create trippy mash-ups that mix brands, colors and patterns from across the world into something entirely his own

The Main Line company stocks rugged, classic apparel made in the U.S.A. that’s made to grow jobs — and made to last

The South Philly native has helped feed hundreds of families, translated at City Council meetings, advocated for fair housing and employment, and tutored kids to read. And she’s only 18

The U.S. has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world – especially among Black women. State Representative Morgan Cephas is on a mission to change that

Join us in honoring the most impactful Philadelphians of 2023 at a dinner featuring MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and actor and activist George Takei

Since 2016, Philadelphia’s volunteer-based Safety and Justice Challenge Community Advisory Council has helped the City reduce its jail population and recidivism rates — while increasing equity. Here’s how they’ve done it

Kansas City, Austin and California are using a new kind of federal-city partnership to radically reform transit in their regions. Drexel’s Metro Finance lays out what Philly can learn from them

The protest in front of Michael Solomonov’s restaurant revealed more than know-nothingism

In the first of this two-part episode of the How to Really Run a City podcast, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey shares how he helped oversee a record low crime rate — and how more leaders can do the same

Kenyssa Evans is not a stereotypical Gen Z. She eschews social media, works slowly and intentionally, and prefers working in the shadows on her sensory images of Blackness in America.

Philly’s robust improv community is using the comedy staple as an avenue for spreading life skills, connections and conversation for those who most need it (i.e., all of us)

What would happen if middle class families in Philly embraced their local high schools the way they have their elementary schools?

Philadelphia government is in love with pilot programs. With a $6.2 billion budget, how about making the tough decisions to deploy what works citywide?

As high school seniors approach college decision time, a longtime university president offers guidelines for picking schools that value respect, freedom and choice

One in four women leave the workforce because of symptoms related to menopause, a life milestone that has been woefully under-researched. Help may, finally, be on the way

“Court doulas” from Partners for Justice have saved more than a million hours of incarceration — and millions of taxpayer dollars — nationwide. Now, they’re bringing their work to Philadelphia

A new program from Shift Capital allows average citizens to invest as little as $100 in their own communities — and double their money in nine years

30+ perfect presents from small local merchants for every tried-and-true Philadelphian on your 2023 list

The legendary photographer and chef recalls how his families gatherings went down — and offers a couple of tips for making your turkey tastier

The Philadelphia Citizen’s sixth annual celebration of solutions was its biggest yet — with some of the biggest revelations to inspire you to make our city better in approximately a bajillion ways

Campus protests over the Israel/Hamas war point to an opportunity for elite universities. Can Penn seize the moment?

CJ Wolfe’s Kensington studio has become a creative hub for anyone who wants to learn photography — thanks to a photographer who taught himself the trade

The legendary photographer and chef sees old friends and appreciates a new paradigm for keeping Philly safe

Catch up on the books written by this year’s Ideas We Should Steal Festival speakers — along with some of our all-time favorite tomes for anyone who lives in, or simply loves, cities

Brian Elms, CEO and Founder of Change Agents Training, joins the latest episode of the How to Really Run a City Podcast to share the secret to better customer service in cities

Tune out the naysayers, says a former city worker, and take a job in City government. Philly and you will benefit

Tuesday, November 7 — today! — we vote. Here's everything you need to know about candidates for Mayor, City Council, judges — the future of Philadelphia

A sweeping public exhibition brings to life a remarkable (and remarkably under-appreciated) piece of Black history in Philadelphia

The school choice mega-billionaire is at it again, spending lavishly on judicial elections and City Council races. Cue the wringing of hands.

A Painted Bride project combines urban farming, art and education to empower Black and Brown Philadelphians to grow their own futures

Working across painting, sculpture and product design, Jeremyville sketches out ideas in Fishtown cafes that spread good vibes globally. The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative

Cocolife.Black provides Black and Brown women with lifesaving maternal care they have long needed, from pre-conception through baby’s early years

The ahead-of-his-time West Philadelphia native, music mogul, early tech investor and school voucher advocate will talk about what’s next for Philly kids on November 17

Hours of debate on an Israel/Hamas resolution? Doubling down on councilmanic prerogative? Here, some ideas for remaking Council into an actual governing body

Two Center City brothers expand their luxury real estate portfolio with low-profit, high-satisfaction housing for Philadelphia’s working class

The Port Richmond social worker offers sustenance, support and care to those struggling with addiction

Your morning Joe tastes so much better when you know where it comes from — a place that treats its workers well and gives back to the community and the world

A Shippensburg politics professor has an important message for anyone who cares about American democracy

Wealthy Jewish donors in revolt. Pro-Palestinian students shouting vile things. A university President embattled. Isn’t this just what the terrorists want?

How an ornery Philadelphian came to re-embrace a four-letter word that is seriously overused — with due credit to this season’s Phillies fans

In the latest installment of The Citizen’s acclaimed podcast, Kathryn Wylde, CEO of Partnership for New York, shares the secrets to — and power of — harnessing cities’ business communities.

More than 60 percent of people incarcerated in the U.S. suffer from addiction. Philadelphia jails could offer a model for helping them get — and stay — sober

Mal Robinson, whose one-man shop in Southwest Philly is an enclave of respect, conversation and relaxation for Black men and boys, talks about choices with the iconic Philly photographer, chef and style icon

Amid the handwringing over the Council campaigns of Working Families Party candidates Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, few have asked them: What’s the political rationale for their insurgency?

Voters this fall are being asked to approve an amendment to our City’s Home Rule Charter to create a permanent City office to monitor accessibility compliance and create programs for people with disabilities

The former Penn President just joined the Hilco advisory board. Here’s why she’s excited about the Bellwether District in Southwest Philly

Katalin Karikó and her research partner did the science that led to the Covid-19 vaccine. A ​​longtime university president suggests lessons we should take from her story

This slate of state-level justices could decide the fate of abortion, redistricting, gun laws, and more in Pennsylvania; while municipal judges you elect will handle criminal and civil cases.

Despite what the pro-Palestinian Rittenhouse Square protestors claim, the terror attack on Israel ought to prompt in us the moral clarity of 9/11 and Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine

In the next in a series of policy recommendations for presumptive Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker, a local environmental activist makes a plea for the planet — and Philadelphians who live on it

The Republican mayoral candidate is a nice guy with progressive values, governing experience and Philly pride. And yet …

A Montco state senator has proposed a ban on all book bans in Pennsylvania. This should be something everyone agrees on

An Afghan teacher, a U.S. author and the Philly-fueled rescue from Taliban oppression

A pair of Harvard Law students believe the recently announced Republican candidate for U.S. Senate could win on an unlikely — and arguably unsexy — issue: legislative reform.

The court has promised more and equitable funding for Philadelphia schools. But, a longtime educator notes, all that money won’t matter if the District doesn’t fix how it budgets

The Citizen journalist who was tragically killed Monday morning was a passionate advocate for those who most needed it

In the latest episode of our acclaimed podcast, tech expert/author Jennifer Pahlka and Little Rock, AR, Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., caution those in power that leadership is about more than having great ideas

The biggest and best fall festivals, art openings, concerts and more happening this fall in Philly

Looting. Unprosecuted shoplifting. ATVs running amok. A judge dismissing charges against a killer cop. Drag racing in the dead of night. Can we reverse the message that rules no longer apply?

One of the bigger shows at last week’s stylish event had to relocate on the fly to an unexpected runway. It was beautiful.

A Philly-based criminal justice reform advocate on why state legislators should pass this week’s bipartisan bill to upend PA’s “nonsensical” probation system

The former Temple Law School Dean and longtime political advisor on what the Republican presidential candidate’s critique of Kamala Harris really means, and what Democrats can do about it

A collaboration in West Philly brings cancer screenings directly to the neighborhood. Can it model the way to better health?

Six Philadelphia heart and mind health startups compete this week for $50,000 in the Economy League’s Well City Challenge.

The Main Line’s Rich Thau is the nation’s sole conductor of monthly swing voter focus groups in presidential battleground states. And he’s got some advice for both Biden and Trump

A Temple Trustee and friend of the university’s acting president who died this week reflects on the example the civic stalwart set for all of us

The architect of Central Park’s Edenic resurgence has retired to our own Rittenhouse Square, where he is the most well-versed park volunteer. Here’s what he thinks we can learn from NYC

We can have both, Philly 3.0’s engagement director argues — if the City can get out of its own way

Around the country, Black teen suicide rates are growing at a scary pace. A Philly social worker, who is also a Black man, calls for help

Disparities in higher ed lead to societal inequities and damage our democracy. That’s why, a longtime university president urges, our state must do better

All but lost in the breathless account of the escaped murderer was the reason he was in jail in the first place: abusing and killing his girlfriend

The first in a series on pilot programs looks at one that has deterred speeders and saved lives on Roosevelt Boulevard may not become permanent. How can Philly sustain — and keep track of — our City’s many such feasibility studies?

City Council is set to vote this week on banning safe injection sites from all but one district in Philadelphia. Toronto has modeled another way

The Philly photographer, chef, and style forerunner reconnects with MaryAnn Morris, a longtime friend who’s pursuing her passion for fashion by hand-making a must-have accessory. Fabolous is a fan.

Philly’s police commissioner announced her resignation this week. Here, some candidates the next mayor should consider, and why

The five phenomenal city workers go above and beyond to move our city forward. Vote today for the people’s choice winner

The canceling of books by local authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Buzz Bissinger are just the latest examples of a new American mantra, regardless of political ideology: Free speech for me, but not for thee

A poverty-fighting nonprofit presented its stellar outcomes at The Citizen’s Ideas We Should Steal Festival. Now it’s launching in Philly

A story in the Wall Street Journal last week singled Philly out for having an empty office district. The head of the Center City District wonders: Do facts even matter anymore?

A rapper-turned-community activist is preserving Black wealth in Portland, the Whitest big city in America, by helping homeowners repair — and therefore stay — in their homes

GROW Academy, started by a local financial planner, is helping entrepreneurial teens manage their money and launch the careers they dream about

Police killed a young man in his car within five seconds of a traffic stop — and then tried to cover it up

With their newest film about the Eagles captain dropping on September 12, it’s safe to say Don Argott and Sheena Joyce will be delivering Philly its most heartfelt love letter yet. Pro tip: Stay for the credits

What could get state senators to cross party lines? How about a crisis among children and adult Pennsylvanians who can’t read

A fashion forerunner and through-and-through Philadelphian reveals the best spot for thrifting locally. Hint: It’s outside city limits.

In an excerpt from a new book about surviving poverty in Kensington, a teenager pleads for his alternative high school to stay open — and wonders why he must.

Through visual art and public gatherings, fashion designer Zarinah Lomax’s Apologues is telling the stories of our city’s trauma — and its survivors

Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh are doing it. You want to create a pathway to the middle class? Forget student loans. Medical debt is where it’s at

A local theater director and hospital chaplain on the darkness and light of The Boss, who, despite postponing his Philly concerts, will definitely be back in town

Kah Yangni, muralist and illustrator, imagines a world where queer people are free to thrive

Mini on-street parks in cities like Chicago build community and help businesses thrive. So why doesn’t Philly have more of them?

Former Eagle Connor Barwin’s annual fundraiser to rebuild city parks features the Philly-born singer songwriter, a tailgate party with special guests and a chance to rock out for good

Hip Hop culture officially turns 50 today. Here, a longtime fan and scholar commemorates the occasion with some...physics

The Kensington preacher offers local kids a safe haven and a path to hope through boxing and prayer. His 14th annual “Rock the Block” party is on Saturday

A longtime university administrator helped the NBA superstar finish his college degree. Now, she urges Philly colleges to make it easy for less famous almost-grads to get their diplomas, too

The next in a series of political and policy advice to presumptive Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker offers a new way to think about getting around from a former city transportation official

A financial analyst calls on local and state governments to report how much they pay their employees — without delay

Spurred by the Meek Mill case, a bipartisan bill in Harrisburg would once again take on state probation reform. So why do progressive organizations like the ACLU prefer maintaining the status quo … to actually fixing the problem?

Former Mayors Michael Nutter of Philadelphia and Kasim Reed of Atlanta reveal the keys to leadership with Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser

Low wages and growing inequality have put football games, the Shore, and so much more out of reach for regular Philadelphians. Can we get back what we have lost?

The next in a series of political and policy advice to presumptive Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker looks to New York City for an idea she should steal: Appoint a sanitation commissioner

New Jersey is the first U.S. state to mandate climate change education in every grade and nearly every subject. Can a similar solutions-based curriculum help prepare Philly kids for a green future?

This week, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy penned a New York Post op-ed on the dystopia in Kensington. It was full of laughable political pablum. But he was also kinda right

The powerful head of Philadelphia’s Building Trades on having the same sense of urgency when it comes to education as a collapsed road

The monument President Biden established for Emmett Till and his mother is a loud rejoinder to those who would erase Black history — and Black humanity

In the first of a new series, the legendary photographer and chef stops in at Sorrentino’s, a 40-year-old institution that is the "heartbeat of the neighborhood."

Like cities around the country, Philly has seen a drop in homicides this year — but more work is needed from the state and the city to keep reducing violent crime

In the budget fight over school vouchers, the Dems have overplayed their hand politically … and invited mega-donor Jeff Yass to flip their already tenuous majority

A new bill in the state legislature proposes tougher penalties for package theft — something any Philly resident with a stoop knows about all too well

Our Mystery Shopper just wanted to pay for their residential parking permit. Why, oh why, was it so hard?

An ongoing research study at the state prison in Chester is looking at how Scandinavian-style changes could make prison safer, more productive and more effective — for inmates, workers and the community.

Philadelphia restaurants dominated the James Beard Awards. But, let’s be clear: Our elite food scene stands on the shoulders of Philly’s unequaled papi stores and other family-run, internationally-rooted food operations

Revisiting The Philadelphia Plan — the nation’s first federal affirmative action program and the brainchild of Republicans who argued that it was good for business

A former Tom Wolfe staffer on one critical misstep of school choice advocates in the state

A long-time university president recalls the dire consequences to public higher education of an Illinois budget stalemate — and urges legislators to ensure that doesn't happen here

The building trades and developers largely backed Cherelle Parker for mayor. Philly 3.0's engagement director asks: Will our presumptive mayor elect work with them on their version of economic growth?

The nonprofit We Love Philly is leading a bike ride from August 17 to August 20 to raise awareness for Act 158. Join them for all or part of the journey in support of high school students throughout the Commonwealth.

This nonprofit brings out the creative writer in school-age students in Philly and beyond. In a city with an abysmal literacy rate, these efforts are paying off.

In the wake of this week’s mass shooting in Southwest Philly, is it time to start regulating the sale of bullets rather than just repeating gun control rhetoric?

The Students for Fair Admissions’ Supreme Court case that struck down affirmative action was not about fairness in college admissions. It was about race.

This week's shooting in Kingsessing is another sign that Philadelphia is failing to staunch its rampant gun violence — despite evidence about what works. Here are some ideas.

The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia on how our elected leaders can support values-driven small businesses in Philly

July 4th means different things to different Americans. Here, a host of Independence Day perspectives — from Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Ronald Reagan and more — that remind us what it means to be free

A former mayor on how last week’s Supreme Court rulings targeting Affirmative Action, the LGBTQ+ community, and student loan debt should remind us of the power of the ballot box

Sure, the Governor’s handling of the I-95 mess has the nation talking. But in countless other ways — including his support of school vouchers — he’s demonstrating a political inside game, too

A long-time university president urges Philadelphia-area colleges and universities to maintain commitment to diversity within the constraints of the new ruling

Former federal judge and current Dickinson College President John E. Jones III explains what the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling means — and what that means for democratic elections

Part 2 of our live podcast taping reveals the secrets to combating the negative aspects of gentrification, and the most important document any city leader would be wise to read

Rainbow capitalism and crosswalks are nice, but let’s not forget we need to demand our right to exist

A Northeast Philly native is transforming how the world treats people with disabilities, one goofy YouTube interview at a time.

The first of a series offering political and policy advice to presumptive Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker that she can adopt before taking office

The overpass collapse last week was not the first catastrophe associated with Philly’s stretch of interstate. That dates back to … the beginning

Resolve Philly introduces a Chicago-born program to make sure everyone knows what’s going on in city meetings. Transparency and jobs ensue.

Attention, Governor Shapiro and Pennsylvania state legislators: Illinois has banned book bans. NJ is thinking about it and PA should too.

Kicking up some dust with the coach, kids and families of the South Philly Sharks

The interstate has splintered neighborhoods and magnified inequities since its construction in 1957. A former mayoral campaign staffer proposes a solution: transportation reparations

The message is clear, an environmental justice advocate says: We must Stop. Using. Fossil Fuels.

Penn business school’s new program teaches incarcerated men and women valuable skills — and future MBAs about the value of employing people who have been released from prison.

Is mandatory voting — the law in Australia, Belgium, Brazil and other countries — an idea we should steal to boost election turnout? (Also: Democracy sausage!)

Hey, Inquirer: Philly’s latest tragic example of antisocial disorder ought to be called out for what it is

Brick-and-mortar LGBTQ-owned businesses span all of Philly. Here, some that strive not just to sell, but also to do good in and beyond our city

In the latest installment of our How to Really Run a City Podcast, former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed host an all-star lineup of mayors and experts to address one of the most pressing issues of our time

A first-of-its kind program in Scranton is using federal rescue money to help small businesses give their employees a pay raise. Could a similar plan help residents and businesses thrive in Philly?

School by school, student by student, a Philly educator is changing how Black girls learn — and embrace — math.

Is ageism the last acceptable prejudice? What progressives who fixate on his age miss about Joe Biden’s political chops

Here’s why the managing editor of EcoWURD is doubtful about Cherelle Parker and David Oh

Philly celebrates LGBTQIA+ Pride this year with events for families, partiers, sports fans, arts aficionados — all June long.

Newish SBN Executive Director Devi Ramkissoon spent most of her career helping businesses in developing countries become engines of poverty relief. Here’s how she plans to do the same in Philadelphia

Like cities around the world, Philly’s Police Assisted Diversion pilot has referred thousands of low-level offenders to social services instead of jail. The program is spreading to every district in the city this summer

Support these dozen-plus local businesses opened by local veterans after their military service

What the most talked-about idea in the new schools plan would mean for Philadelphia

Local business leaders on what the City must do to bring more visitors — and their economic impact — to Philadelphia

Lost in the hubbub over candidates, a single, confusing ballot question may have led voters to vote against their own beliefs and interests

This month, Character Lab, co-founded by Angela Duckworth, is sharing wisdom on creativity. Today, a tip from an author and marketing professor on the value of persistence

Only 27 percent of voters cast a ballot in Philly’s mayoral primary last week. Here’s what we can learn from the midwest city — known for high levels of civic engagement — that recently set a turnout record

Instagram feuds, Twitter taunts and online videos are taking the blame for several shootings over the last couple of years. The answer is old-fashioned communication

A shooting survivor and anti-violence advocate has a plan — inspired by our pro sports teams — to get the whole city behind stopping violence

Ryan Boyer, Bob Brady and the anti-Gym forces exulted. Progressives, David Oh and democracy? Not a great night. Here, a report card

Could College Together hold the answer to our nation’s higher education woes?

The North Philly native is a total badass on and off the court — which could be just what our almost-ran basketball team needs

Tuesday’s primary lacked the splash, buzz and — more than likely — turnout of recent Presidential elections. But those who did vote did it with intention, optimism — and Philly swagger

One in two veterans — among about 1 million voters — will stay away from the polls on primary day because of Pennsylvania’s unfair election system. A fair elections advocate on how that can change

This long campaign season ends tomorrow. Who is the leader we need for a better Philadelphia future?

Some final thoughts on the mayor’s race as it comes to a close. Are we about to meet a new boss who is the same as the old boss?

The attorney who helmed the City’s Human Relations and Fair Housing commissions believes Philadelphia’s problems can be solved with clear communication and dogged implementation

The City Council at-large candidate’s vision includes better school funding, growing tech jobs … and Drone Force Philly

Founded by three Black entrepreneurs, the Philly company empowers underserved real estate developers and small businesses with capital, coaching, land and mentorship

The Philly fashion brand coveted by celebs James Harden, Kim Kardashian and La La Anthony is breaking barriers and helping those in need — with an extra boost from La La

Frankford-born-and-raised Joseph Earl Thomas has been getting raves for his new memoir, Sink, as a story of his journey out that, really, is about how he’s stayed in

Donate food or money for uniforms, share your expertise, provide reading help and more ways you can support schools in Philadelphia

We asked 15 historians to rank Philly's leaders throughout time. As Election Day approaches, our mayoral candidates — and voters — could learn a lot from the results

Stoop (step?) sitting is fundamental to Philly rowhome living. Let’s bring it back, for all of our sakes

The City Council At-large candidate is … a lot, including a warrior against poverty.

Rose Luardo, performer, dancer, visual artist and comedian shuns stereotypes in pursuit of art that’s both thoroughly provoking and totally fun

The practical policy nerd who has worked with Michael Nutter and Allan Domb is running for City Council-at-large with big ideas for solving problems and because it seems … really fun

The founder of Evoluer House has empowered 3,000 young girls of color in Philadelphia to attend college and succeed in life.

Find out who would become the next mayor if Election Day were today — and who would come out on top in a ranked choice vote — in our new poll with Committee of Seventy, Chamber of Commerce, Urban Affairs Coalition and FairVote

In L.A. and other cities, young people influence local climate policy and enact climate fixes — while learning what it means to be an engaged citizen. It’s time Philly joins the movement

Ahmad is the only City Council At-Large candidate who would bring two disparate experiences to the role: as a war survivor and a scientist

The former mayor and governor's endorsement includes advice and a challenge on how to govern Philadelphia

The executive director of Old City District is running for City Council At-Large with a plan that bring quality-of-life issues — cleaning streets, serving people with addiction — to every neighborhood in the city

For democracy to work, citizens need to hold electeds to account for their actions — even if they’re leaders we really, really like.

A local software company alerts parents to potential cyberbullying while their children are playing video games like Roblox and Fortnite

In last week's debate, Jeff Brown took heat for what he said about our Delco neighbor. But other candidates also seemed unaware of the real issue behind where our trash goes

At least seven cities worldwide have officials solely focused on mitigating rising heat. An event at Penn this week will lay out why that could help Philadelphia’s most vulnerable

Despite what you’ve heard, downtown Philly is doing pretty well. Center City District’s President/CEO on how the city is rebounding from the last three years — and what new leaders must do

The police, DA and Sheriff’s Office have kicked off a new partnership to track down known homicide suspects. Will it help assuage the frustration of victims’ families?

Or is she just wrong?

A local nonprofit combines picking up litter with help for people who are homeless. You’re invited to their next event

Why we have them, why they are the way they are — and how they might change to allow more people to vote in Pennsylvania

Philly 3.0’s engagement director with who’s up, who’s down in the fundraising contest for the City Council primary

Bloating pension payments contribute to our staff shortage. Here, ways to solve the issue

Jeff Brown may be under investigation by the Ethics Board. Others have their issues. Which candidate represents the cleanest, least purely transactional style of governing?

Almost 86 percent of clinical trials for new drugs are delayed because researchers can’t find enough patients to take part. A local entrepreneur is filling that gap all over the world

Predictions on election math, messaging that matters, and who will emerge the winner in May’s primary from a former Mayor candidate-turned-award winning documentarian

In light of Pres. Jason Wingard’s abrupt resignation, a former college president calls for a reboot that turns Temple into a model of 21st century reform

A former Philadelphian remembers the lessons learned from his most important friend, a popular Germantown radio personality, a year after his untimely death

Who's running? City Council? Commissioners? Controller? Judges? We've got you covered, Philadelphia voters

When a Citizen editor’s sister gets glioblastoma, her doctors recommend a cutting-edge treatment. Then she rams into the great American healthcare wall: Insurance.

A new partnership offers grants and investments for local, women-owned and led businesses — courtesy of Judee von Seldneck, a woman who’s been there

Gov. Ron DeSantis is not alone in attacking free expression on campus, where censorship is coming from the right and left. Here, a former university president on the dangers of such Orwellian assaults on democracy itself

Former Roots Crew member Dice Raw first made his name chronicling his Philadelphia history through music. Now, as head of Philly’s legendary New Freedom Theatre, he’s telling the stories of Black Americans throughout all our history

Pennsylvania is one of eight states that elects judges through partisan elections, inviting political cronyism and incompetence into our courts. Does Missouri offer a better way?

Nutter and Street for Rhynhart? Domb goes after Brown? Parker and Gym, crimefighters? Plus, a Tik-Tok jokester weighs in. Get ready for an airwaves assault, Philly

City kids playing squash? The nonprofit SquashSmarts has combined the sport with academic and social support as a college and career launchpad for hundreds of Philly kids

The Memphis Grizzlies loaned its NBA star power to get citizens competing to pick up litter. Could a Philly “Litter League” help clean up our streets, too?

Philly 3.0’s engagement director on the promise a new mayor and City Council offer: Reversing the balkanized, piecemeal approach to land development Darrell Clarke has championed.

Supporting small businesses supports Black families, communities, other small businesses, and dreams

Former mayors Rendell and Street say the fate of a new Sixers arena should be left to the next Mayor and Council. But do the mayoral candidates want any part of it?

The just-ended graduate union strike was the latest blow to the university, which has seen violence and disarray the last several months

On this episode of The Citizen’s podcast, former Mayors Michael Nutter and Kasim Reed talk pragmatism with Republican OKC Mayor David Holt

New Jersey’s public-private Pay It Forward program provides free or low-cost access to training in fields that need skilled workers. It’s a model Philly should emulate

Mural Arts Philadelphia’s executive director delivered a message from the arts to candidates at a forum last month. Here’s what she told them

Paul Vallas’ primary defeat of Lori Lightfoot — Paul Vallas! — holds many object lessons for mayoral candidates in Philadelphia

Is it porn? Is it sports? Why is DuckDuckGo, the upstart challenger to Google, targeting bros?

The executive director of an impact evaluation group distills five lessons learned in five years of helping mission-oriented organizations make real change in Philly

YEAH Philly provides 400 youth a year with a safe space and opportunities to change the course of their lives and their community. Is it a blueprint for moving our city forward?

A West Philly charter high school has added an option to learn outside the classroom. So far, it seems to be working, just like it does in some of Philly’s most affluent suburbs.

How hard is it for a first-time voter to register in PA? In the latest installment of our Mystery Shopper column, a Philly student finds out

Is the retiring City Council President a statesman … or has he been a guardian of the status quo?

A long-time university president believes the general public could use a crash course in fact-checking — and that news itself can be the teacher

PhilaPort Communities are being ignored in the state’s push to build a local terminal for explosive gas. A Clean Air Council exec calls for accountability — to residents and the climate

City Councilmembers are celebrating the idea of a “Public Safety Director” to oversee violence reduction in Philly. But, WURD’s midday host wonders, what will that really solve?

The School District’s diversion program for low-level offenders is a national model that has kept kids in school and out of jail. Could a version of San Francisco’s Make it Right program reach even more youth?

A crowdfunding platform for small businesses returns to Philly — and promises help for minority-owned small businesses, thanks to a new partner

Our Ultimate Job Interview series with the major mayoral candidates has featured plenty of drama … and helped shed light on the qualities needed in City Hall.

The Citizen is kicking off our third-annual search for Integrity Icon Award winners. Find out why — and how to nominate a city worker you admire

A North Philly native who was shot, spent time in prison and worked in schools has seen a lot of violence. Here, he lays out his prescription for stopping it

A former Philadelphia firefighter has created an app that’s Uber for trash disposal to help landlords and small businesses keep the city clean. Now he’s ready to grow it big

One in seven city jobs are vacant, creating a backlog in services to residents. It may be time to rethink who, and how, we hire

It is unnecessarily hard to figure out the best public transit route to get around the Philly area — one reason people default to driving. Can we take a lesson from Berlin?

Many of those running for mayor call themselves change agents. But 13 weeks from Election Day, where are the innovative plans that could alter the direction of the city?

Deadspin’s former editor recalls his late father’s passion for his beloved Eagles — and for WIP talk radio. How would “Big Al from Ambler” have reacted to the Super Bowl loss?

Now that South Philly’s Columbus Statue has been unboxed, can we find a healthier way to grapple with our monument issues, as they’ve done in Franklin, Tennessee?

Feeling terrible today? Us too. Here, a few things you can do as a Philadelphian to make everything better

No matter what happens on Sunday (cue: GREASE THE POLES!), our team will always be winners for their contributions off the field. Here, a look at how our beloved Birds are really making a difference

... against Jim Kenney?

As the pool of candidates for City Council balloons, Philly 3.0’s engagement director looks at how much candidates — both incumbent and prospective members — have raised

The latest in our partnership with Forman Arts Initiative considers Kelechi Azu, whose newest piece, Music Library, combines her passions for music and comics — a lifelong pursuit that is her connection to those around her

New Jersey became the first state to require schools teach K-12 students how to tell fact from fiction — a critical skill in preserving democracy

The last 99 mayors of Philadelphia (i.e. all of them) have been men. Isn’t it time, one of the city’s top female executives says, for that to change?

Missed the latest in our 2023 mayoral candidate interviews? Find out what it was all about here, and join us for the next one on February 7

Tyre Nichols’s murder was not just about race. The real story is the toxic proclivities of men

Why new fashion trends are insulting to poor people and how to actually help them

The founder of Philly BOLT believes the key to transforming communities lies in trusting the people who live there to lead the way

A dedicated group of citizens has spent three years trying to change the name of the tiny Philadelphia street that honors a big non-Philadelphian racist. Why won’t their Councilmembers let it happen?

Jeff Brown takes some hits. Cherelle Parker talks in the third person. Helen Gym moderates her decibel level. And no one will address Commissioner Outlaw's fate … The Mayor’s race is underway. How can we make this about you?

Week after week, Pastor Aaron Campbell’s five-year-old after-school program offers more than 300 young people the security, skills and confidence to live — and thrive — through the city’s violence

Navy SEALs founded a software company that detects firearms on security cameras. Schools, corporate campuses, the Department of Defense — and SEPTA — are signing up.

What does a Black QB have to do to get love? Ours may be showing the way

What do the proposed Sixers arena, UC Townhomes, the selling off of county water and sewer systems, and protests of the Bellwether District have in common? Opposition that is shrill and uncivil. Is the art of persuasion dead?

Gregory Heller has spent his career trying to make Philadelphia more hospitable — and equitable — for the people who call it home.

The B Corps fashion brand loved by Beyoncé is launching a men’s clothing line and a vintage clothing store, Blk Ivy, dedicated to Civil Rights era fashion, music, books— and activism

A study by a Temple trauma surgeon looks at the damaging effects of daily crime reporting on victims of gun violence. A bigger question remains: Would changing the news decrease shootings?

The former high school friends launched Philly Truce, an app, event series and neighborhood watch to interrupt gun violence — because everyone has to work for peace in the city

A New York Times article about a crippling new drug has drawn national attention (once again) to Kensington. A former city official who worked on the crisis under Jim Kenney takes the Mayor to task for his failure to solve the problem

Former Mayors Michael Nutter and Kasim Reed speak with Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix — one of the hottest cities on earth

With the mayoral primary in full swing, Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein explains why voters should feel confident their ballots are safe and counted every Election Day.

We’ve all heard the research: Early literacy is critical to success. Two fathers do their part to help Philadelphia’s early learners develop a lifelong love of reading — and of themselves

Mandate? Voters elected him to be not crazy. Here's a game plan beyond that low but necessary bar for the new governor

The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative profiles interdisciplinary artist Suldano Abdiruhman, whose art explores the mystical overlaps between science and spirituality.

Yes, teachers are underpaid, a longtime schools advocate says in response to a Citizen column about education funding. But that’s not the fault of charters

The Camden-based tech training program opened in Kensington this month with plans to replicate its poverty-fighting work where it’s most needed

It’s possible to give middle schoolers extracurricular access to educational opportunities and train BIPOC college students to become teachers, explains an executive director of a nonprofit that works to do both

Philadelphia is among the least charitable regions in the country. Could a local version of Giving Tuesday, like they have in Austin, be the answer?

What do the Bucks County Republican, Bono and ex-Congressman Charlie Dent all have in common? Maybe a way to calm Washington’s raging culture wars

A longtime university president responds to a recent Citizen column by urging us to work for constructive solutions that support public education for all students

Happy to see 2022 in your rear view? Here’s what it means for 2023

Eight years ago, Edmonton, Canada, started a citywide effort to celebrate its intense cold, rather than hide from it. Would doing the same here lessen social isolation, help spur local democracy and make this third Covid winter more bearable?

With the federal government in disarray, Drexel’s Metro Finance head predicts cities — and those who live, work and manage them — will be the key to economic growth next year.

We spent the year profiling the incredible people helping the city move forward. See who they are here

The latest mayoral candidate has reminded us that there ought to be standards for becoming mayor. But can his gaffe, and other tales from the campaign, lead to an entirely new way to think about what it takes to occupy City Hall?

Expanding technology can make life easier. But at what cost to our livelihoods — and our culture?

Pennsylvania has among the fewest housing options for people with intellectual disabilities. That, a mother, scholar and advocate notes, causes them harm — and wastes all of our money

At the opening night of last week’s festival, renowned journalists from Ali Velshi to Jill Abramson offered solutions to what plagues distrust of the media

Sixteen percent of Philadelphians have a disability. The founder and leader of Acting Without Boundaries puts those who love to act on stage

YouTubers roaming Kensington to record human suffering there have built a cottage industry of crass global gawkers. What can Philly do about it?

The West Philadelphia guy who tackled Penntrification now works to preserve and enhance neighborhoods around college and corporate campuses nationwide

Like father like son: Kellan White, the son of former City Councilman John F. White Jr., is all-in for Philadelphia. On the cusp of his toughest political campaign to date, this third-generation civic leader and political insider aims to lift up others

The former presidential candidate talks with WashPo’s Jennifer Rubin, former RNC Chair Michael Steele and MSNBC’s Ali Velshi at our Ideas We Should Steal Festival Thursday

Locally-owned shops and services that put a dent in climate change — and make you feel a little bit better about everything

A long-time college president sees a cautionary tale in the recent Pennridge (Bucks County) school board vote to scale back social studies

Three local coaches weigh in on the controversy over the plan to replace South Philly’s Meadows with playing fields

The new Civic Coalition to Save Lives plan to combat gun violence is a type of problem-solving collaboration we’ve not seen before. Can it work? And can it model a new way to enact solutions?

A former mayoral candidate-turned-award-winning documentarian kicks off a series covering the candidates in the most crucial mayor’s election in Philadelphia history

The event on Saturday launches Pennsylvania’s only Black-owned radio station’s 20th anniversary year with shopping, cooking, hope — and dancing

In less than one year, Philadelphians will elect our city’s 100th mayor. How about this time we citizens play the role of employer?

Chester has reduced gun violence by 60 percent in the last two years. We’ll learn how they did it at our 5th annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival on December 15

Quon Brinkley, founder of the Thinker Makers Society, makes space for Philadelphia artists of color and Philadelphia LGBTQIA artists in Old City

A young Philadelphian chose a suburban college over a Philly one in order to feel and be safe for the next four years. Other students will follow suit if our city doesn’t get a handle on crime.

The Citizen’s new podcast starring former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed dives deep into the mystery and mastery of urban leadership. Here’s why it’s needed now more than ever

Can a four-year residency model ensure new teachers stay in the district? A Baltimore-based program that launched in Philly this year is betting on it.

The Philadelphia “walking artist” has trekked hundreds of miles to honor people marching for freedom — including Harriett Tubman, whose statue he’s advocating for at home

A rare lame duck session of Congress provides opportunity to protect Americans who arrived to the U.S. as children

Everything you need to know about celebrating the winter holidays in Philadelphia.

This Philadelphia holiday gift guide checks all of the boxes.

All year long, The Philadelphia Citizen celebrates Philadelphians who make our city and world a better place. Here are some of our all-time favorites.

Meet Quetcy Lozada, Sharon Vaughn, Anthony Phillips and Jimmy Harrity

A Philadelphia educator reflects on the power of young people to accept the world as it is, brutal and beautiful — and urges us all to revel in what they can teach us

Philadelphia’s Eviction Diversion Program has become a model for cities around the country — and a lifesaver for Philadelphia families

Being surrounded by Black leaders I admire during two Philadelphia events reminded me why young Black men need other Black men as mentors

The promised red wave never happened. What should Philadelphia — and all — Republicans learn from the midterms?

City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas recently introduced a bill to pay Philadelphians for filing complaints. Which led us to wonder: Just what is 311 all about?

Nia Benjamin makes experimental theater that’s not just experimenting on stage — it’s also experimenting with the process itself, allowing for collaboration and room to breathe

Serial entrepreneur Monica Miraglilo brings women into what was once a man’s world: demolition, residential rehab, and serious construction. (And helps them look good, too.)

And other notes from a crazy, conventional wisdom-defying election

Every Election Day, we learn somethings new about Pennsylvania elections. The consistent takeaway: We should have a better way to vote

A new report shows the city’s housing density bonus has helped hundreds of low-income homeowners pay for repairs. Philly 3.0’s engagement director lays out why that matters

With Underdog Apparel, the Philadelphia Eagles’ star center is selling tees, totes, fanny packs, hats and more to benefit Philly kids everywhere.

Impeaching him.

Philadelphia tech entrepreneur Chris Cera builds and runs software companies. But he also advocates for tax policies that allow small businesses to thrive, creates model work environments — and promises not to bail for the suburbs.

An Oklahoma program helps save police resources and provide better care for residents in distress. Could Philly do the same to combat our mental health care crisis?

Education is a fundamental building block of democracy — which is why it’s become a prime target of attack. In Philadelphia and Pennsylvania and everywhere, we all must do our part to protect it

A Philadelphia-born, Comcast-boosted app helps improve employees’ quality of life — and employers’ quality of work

According to the team’s unlikeliest fan, Penn Professor Sarah Gronningsater, he already is — spiritually. Because of all the sports, only baseball reveals America to itself.

An oral history of the life and legacy of Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, being honored by The Citizen next week

Every Philadelphia citizen ought to understand what they are or aren’t voting for.

It was a mess from start to finish — not just because of John Fetterman’s post-stroke symptoms or Mehmet Oz’s smarminess. But because neither could be bothered to tell us anything we needed to know

The City plans to sell the old police headquarters. Can — and will — it be redeveloped in a way that respects the building’s history?

Rebecca Rhynhart’s detailed analysis of the department’s budget included several dozen recommendations. The most important one never got a mention

The elite social club plans to award Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis its highest award. What does that say about who they — and we — are?

The Republican U.S. Senate nominee won’t acknowledge that Turkey annihilated 1.5 million Armenians in the 20th century. Is denial of genocide the new smart campaign strategy?

An ongoing federal investigation into illegal dumping in poor, majority Black neighborhoods in Houston is already cleaning things up. Could it happen in Philadelphia?

Wanna win another World Series or Super Bowl, Philadelphia? Don’t plan a parade, build a William Penn-less skyscraper, or turn the economy around

When parents themselves are disadvantaged — single, impoverished, young — a community of adults must step up to help children

An innovative model for community-business development provides opportunity for current and new residents to thrive in a Philadelphia neighborhood experiencing both investment and crisis

Philadelphia's pro teams' success comes from honest teamwork ... How about some of that from City Hall? (Looking at you, Johnson and Parker.)

Sometimes, you really, really need to go. That’s why Philly is looking to Portland to adopt a successful model of free public bathrooms.

A recent editorial declared support for remaking the South Philly park as an outdoor turf sports complex. That is not what we really need

AARP Pennsylvania calls for more support for the City’s ambitious plan to eliminate fatalities and injuries from traffic crashes

Penn Medicine’s Shreya Kangovi has created a community health model that has worked with 16,000 Philadelphians and has been replicated in 18 states. The key? Listening

The transit agency’s experiment with free Anywhere Passes for employees at three institutions has been a rousing success. Now, Philly 3.0’s engagement director says, it’s ready to go big

South Philly Barbacoa’s Cristina Martínez has earned the highest honors for chefs in America. But that’s just the start of her most important work

A Philadelphia rabbi’s Yom Kippur message: Your ballot could be the one that preserves the fundamental ideals of America

A longtime legal legend created a detailed timeline of Black lawyers in America. Here, a look at how A. Leon Higginbotham intersected with that timeline — and made history himself

Philly 3.0’s engagement director on the political chess match playing out in order to fill empty At-Large seats on Philadelphia City Council

A mother and daughter who are living through breast cancer help other Black women access the care they need and deserve

Okay. You hate journalists. But the war Doug Mastriano is waging against the news media is not normal, and is a harbinger of autocracy

Penn physician-scientist Kit Delgado applies what he learns from treating injured patients in the ER to changing the behavior that gets us there in the first place.

Yesterday’s shooting outside a Roxborough football game is another sign that Philadelphia is failing to staunch its rampant gun violence — despite evidence about what works. Here are some ideas.

A long-time college president and researcher in the teaching of writing recommends that readers take a free online course from Miami University (Ohio)

Outraged that less than 50 percent of Americans can name the three branches of government? California and several other states are working to literally certify good citizenship for high school grads.

MSNBC's Al Velshi and Josh Shapiro speak about how many Pennsylvania voters plan to back democracy on November 8

Keith Leaphart's Philanthropi has partnered with American Express to let 25,000 members round up their purchases to give to charity

The UC Townhomes fiasco features a wealthy, easy-to-blame institution; fact-challenged protestors; an elected official who may be in over her head, and a compromise solution everybody seems hell bent on ignoring

No, the virus doesn’t affect everyone equally. This platitude is outdated and hurts public health efforts

A future of work expert responds to a recent Inquirer editorial calling on Washington to plan for the effects of robots taking over jobs. Really, she says: It’s up to us to create lasting jobs

Councilmembers’ attempts to legislate national politics distract them from the local issues only they can solve. They should do better.

PA Youth Vote and activist theater company Just Act are using drama to activate the newest generation of voters. What can we learn from them on Voter Registration Day?

Ithaca, New York is on track to become the first city in the nation to transition all of its buildings from fossil fuels to renewable electricity, reducing their carbon emissions by 400,000 tons per year. Can we do it in Philly too?

By all accounts she was a lovely woman. But why is mourning her passing the only thing Americans agree on? Didn’t we kinda fight a war to escape the trappings of royalty?

Philly’s most talented African soccer players play in Suffolk Park. City Hall touts their successes in the Unity Cup. So why can’t Philly give this park a little help?

It might not be what you think, according to a future of work expert. Here, her lessons learned in 20 years of navigating the schools landscape in and around Philly

Eric Marsh parlayed his own fathering experience into forming Fathering Circle, an arts-focused support group that helps men in Philadelphia be their best parenting selves

Four City Councilmembers have already resigned to run for Mayor — with the possibility of two more leaving before the new session begins. A former Council staffer explains what that means

Progressives who dismiss the lingering speech issues from the candidate’s stroke run the risk of embodying what they decry

A one-year-old Mural Arts’ program works to reduce recidivism for Philly women by looking inward to succeed on the outside

Higher education as a public good is on the ballot this November. A longtime college president highlights the stark choices

A precocious young professional and scholar has a message for Philly employers: Equitable treatment for your youngest colleagues means giving them the respect — and pay — they deserve

Volunteer, foster, donate goods, take a dog for a walk: simple, meaningful ways to help Philadelphia’s unhomed animal population

Jim Kenney can still reverse his legacy as a mayor who quit on his city. Here, the “Quality of Life” speech to Philadelphians he needs to make now.

A conversation with Judge A. Leon Higginbotham opens his nephew’s mind to the urgency for a new civil rights movement in America

Root Quarterly looks at a California-based organization, now working with Penn, that asks: Does a successful American experiment depend on empathy?

The founder of Operation Save Our City also works in Temple's ER as a trauma victims' advocate, and has administered Narcan to 900 people in Kensington ...

Twelve U.S. states allow school kids to take excused days off for emotional well-being. PA should too

A long-time college president says student debt forgiveness is a return to the idea of college as a public good — and recommends more ways to stop debt before it starts

Educators on how the school year that starts today in Philly could be one that makes the new normal better than normal

Media needs to cover the values underpinning the gubernatorial campaign of Doug Mastriano, because business as usual “objectivity” won’t capture the looming threat to pluralism

An Inquirer story this week unpacked the ever-worsening Philly police officer shortage. Here, what Philly could learn from other cities on recruiting more qualified people to the job.

One way to address many of the city’s most pressing needs, Philly 3.0’s engagement director argues, is by going all in towards one milestone: 2 million residents

A Republican supporter of Democrat Josh Shapiro on what passes for a bit of courage among his fellow state party members this election season

What the highest-stakes Pennsylvania election since the last high stakes election (i.e. that one two years ago) is really about

At a Citizen event this week, the MSNBC anchor talked about Ukraine, democracy, empathy — and what we all need to do to save our democracy

Jane Ellis opened one of the city’s first community fridges at the start of Covid. Two years later, Germantown’s two free-to-all pantries testify to the power and promise of mutual aid

Karla Ballard has raised over $1 million for her app, which seeks to replicate the community of helpful neighbors she grew up with in Philadelphia, one task at a time

A longtime college president applauds Drexel’s new tuition discount for community college transfers — and urges universities to do more to help underserved students attain their degrees

The director of progressive, accessible childcare centers is on a mission to provide opportunities for children and adults — including through a new teacher apprenticeship program starting this week

42 teens ran neighborhood play spaces around Philly this summer, engaging younger children while learning to be leaders themselves. Here, a look at some of the joy they shared.

Does the Biden administration’s recent winning streak, including the Inflation Reduction and CHIPS and Science Acts, contain an object lesson for Philly?

Philly’s former district attorney has a three-step plan to get guns off the street — and reduce the record shootings — in Philly

The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative profiles Maia Chao, whose anthropology-informed art practice challenges institutions of museums, schools, and more

One of the most famous — and famously attacked — climatologists in America is now the founding director of Penn’s new climate change institute. He has a few things to say to those who doubt we can still save the earth

Morgan Berman’s street cleaning startup company is working better than ever. The City, which once declined to fund the “unproven pilot,” now faces proof: It works.

There’s been a lot of handwringing over Democrats like Josh Shapiro trying to choose their MAGA general election opponents. But maybe we need a nationwide referendum on Trumpism, once and for all?

Developer Mo Rushdy made his reputation on high-end luxury homes. Now, he’s turned his considerable talents to creating generational wealth for low- to middle-income Philadelphians

The City’s disorganization around Philly’s illegal dumping crisis is as messy as the dumping itself. A reporter who has spent months delving into the disaster calls for a leader we can count on

In a groundbreaking new report, the head of Center City District starkly lays out the problem — and calls for Philadelphia’s next mayor to fully invest in growth

Jim Kenney’s lackadaisical approach to his job is doing real damage to the City. Philly 3.0’s engagement editor games out what could happen if Kenney resigns now

Senate candidate John Fetterman’s heckling of Mehmet Oz may entertain the already converted, but it might work against actually persuading independent voters

The next in a series with the Forman Arts Initiative profiles Suzanne Sheer, the singer, songwriter and Khemist collaborator who is taking over the city with her new album, The Blue Hour

Paris, Portland, Houston and even Detroit are planning neighborhoods where residents can walk or bike to everything they need for a healthy and vibrant life. Is now the time to do the same in Philly?

The plan for Philadelphia’s largest neighborhood park has prompted a contentious fight, South Philly style. Could the answer be as simple as a walk in the park?

The prospect of a $1.3 billion Center City arena can spur equitable growth — if done right. Here, a playbook for an intentional and inclusive deal

A pioneer B Corp in Philadelphia’s sustainable design scene doesn’t just reduce, reuse and recycle: They listen to clients to create buildings that last because they’re loved

Laura Boyce doesn’t just advocate for educators in Philadelphia public schools. She teaches them to advocate for themselves, for their students, and for the Philadelphia School District

A bystander of the Fourth of July shooting points out a fact of gun violence in America: Most are not mass shootings, but the everyday violence that plagues communities.

Citizen Board Member and MSNBC host Ali Velshi says the Supreme Court's erasure of abortion rights puts the U.S. in limited company and imperils Americans' personal rights

Philly rents rose 6 percent during the pandemic, making security deposits even harder for new tenants. A Cincinnati law is applying private market disruption to the problem. Should we do that here too?

The debate, floated by Council President Darrell Clarke and engaged by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, is proof that, when it comes to combatting gun violence in Philadelphia, our leaders live in a fact-free zone

Philly’s former district attorney on how Larry Krasner’s progressive policies fail to prevent crime — and what we should do differently

The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative, actor, writer and educator Camille Young uses her voice to celebrate others — especially Black femme artists — and her classroom to help young people celebrate themselves.

Asthma is the number one illness that sends Philly kids to the ER and the main reason they miss school. A CHOP program is working to change that—starting with where they live

The “Housing First” model is helping homeless people get — and stay — off the streets. So why is it still considered “radical?”

The mayor’s white flag-waving comments this week created a buzz storm of controversy. But did he say anything we didn't already know? And, what of it?

A two-mile paving debacle in Philly symbolizes how government isn’t working for American cities

A West Philly-born holistic maternal health care group has improved pregnancy outcomes for more than 1,000 Philadelphians — and are readying to help more women nationally

An irrepressible leader of today’s urban farming movement in Philadelphia, Christa Barfield builds individual and community health from the ground up

It was African American chefs who created the summertime treat we consume by the gallons, right here in the city where America was born

Until the leaked draft decision that would eventually overturn Roe v. Wade, I had never told anyone — except my wife.

Philly has more illegal dumping surveillance cameras than other major cities, but far fewer arrests and convictions. Here’s what we know about illegal dumpers — and a system that rarely stops them.

Logan-born poet / musician Khemist is one of the most gifted artists Philly has produced this century. We just don’t know it yet.

Why are Josh Shapiro and Doug Mastriano neck and neck? Is Dr. Oz underwater? Is PA going red? Catching up with legendary political consultant Neil Oxman to understand the polling.

In advance of a surprise January 6 hearing today, a long-time college president reflects on ways to preserve our embattled democracy

For those who believe in abortion rights, now is the time to speak up, support the cause, and vote like women’s lives depend on it. Because they do.

In the midst of another grim year of gun violence, The Trace asked Philadelphians what they want leaders to do. Here’s what they said.

The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade brings the fight over abortion to the states. Here’s what that means in Pennsylvania.

Council’s passage last week of modest business tax cuts was more than a rebuke of progressives. It also might suggest that reasonableness is trending again

A Penn lecturer co-created a documentary about illegal abortion in 1970. With Roe overturned, Mary Summers looks back in order to see a way forward

It’s been five years since Mayor Kenney announced ambitious plans for combating climate change locally. Here, a look at how that's going.

The immigrant-owned cleaning service co-operative, opening in Philly next spring, offers workers a pathway to the American middle class

Summer novels, banned books, literary classics, moving memoirs: Whatever you’re into reading, you’ll find it at one of Philadelphia’s independent bookstores

Andrea “Philly” Walls’ photos of Black joy can be seen as a visual act of ongoing resistance. They are, also, the exact antidote to the time we live in

ATVs, buggies and dirt bikes are wreaking havoc on Philly streets and fueling a sense of disorder. What cities are smartly confronting the problem?

Former City Commissioner Al Schmidt’s testimony this week before the Jan. 6 committee was a reminder that maybe integrity isn’t dead yet

The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative profiles artist, curator and writer Logan Cryer, who shines light on a new generation of Philly creators

Looking for opportunities for volunteering? Philadelphia has plenty. Read on for local groups where people of all ages — especially kids and teens — can make a difference over (and beyond) summer break

Philly’s selective schools are not enough to ensure every child receives the education they deserve. A longtime Philly educator on what more we must do

A 7th grade Philly math and science teacher reflects on the hardest of school years — and thanks all those who made it possible. Namely: those doing the work

While Mayor Kenney, DA Krasner and police commissioner Outlaw point fingers and demonstrate the Philly Shrug, State Sen. Art Haywood rejects the politics of helplessness

Why the dumpers are winning, and how the City can beat them

The director of a local tech ed nonprofit calls for awareness around access to high-speed internet and its role as a driver of inequity

Greg Seltzer, attorney and founder of Philly Music Fest, uses his business savvy and personal passion to help current and future generations of local musicians thrive.

The Philly wearable device innovator is now answering the call to keep healthcare workers safer, too

Melanie Hasan creates a model of sustainability, inclusivity and community in a Fishtown shop that makes and sells naturally dyed wares

The Citizen spent a year trying to understand Philly’s gun violence epidemic — and identify ways to solve it. Listen to Philly Under Fire here

This school year was hard. You know who made it easier for the rest of us? Teachers

A riveting HBO documentary on the philosopher comic prompts some warm memories — and reminds us of what’s missing from today’s public conversation

Project 440, founded by a Philadelphia Orchestra bassist, transforms high school musicians into community-minded entrepreneurs

The next in a series with Forman Arts Initiative profiles performer/photographer Sa’Mantha SayTen, who uplifts queer trans artists through her studio and her own story

A long-time college president and Philly native urges everyone to do like the former Phillies manager: Exercise their rights to protest inaction on gun violence

Rev. Simmons’ Germantown nonprofit Why Not Prosper helps recently incarcerated women get their lives back — and stay out of prison for good

The murder of 19 young children in Texas this week is a reminder of the violence children experience in America everyday — in and out of schools. Here, some ways to help

More than 400 Black Americans have died at the hands of police since George Floyd's murder on this day in 2020. What can we do? Plenty.

A long-time college president recommends ways to affirm democracy — through libraries and schools — in these troubled times

One Portland neighborhood reduced gun violence 60 percent by changing traffic patterns and reviving a park. Philly could do that, right?

In the first of a partnership series, Root Quarterly's publisher profiles Philly-raised iconoclastic cultural critic John McWhorter, who braves the Twitter mob every day

An insurrectionist, a stroke patient, a TV doctor, a newspaper that’s anti-vote, and warring progressive and establishment factions walk into an election. Is the joke on us?

Few Philadelphians have had so seismic an impact in so short a time as Jeannine Cook, social justice activist and owner of Harriett’s Bookshop. And she’s just getting started

Philly’s “deep-canvassers” are using a startling — and potent — blend of vulnerable emotion to get people to the polls. Join us to become one of them before the November general election.

Founded by women, Philly-based Black Men Heal is helping to address the emotional pain of African American men around the country

Corporate investment disproportionately affected Black families’ ability to buy a house, the single most important component of wealth in the US. Drexel’s Metro Finance head lays out what we must do to fix this

Legendary media consultant Neil Oxman takes us inside politics — and throws some righteous shade

Small fees and outsized loans keep many students from graduating. A long-time university president urges colleges to find and support those almost-alums — and those who are still at school

On the cusp on his Twitter takeover, a Constitution Center event this week reframed the plutocrat for your consideration — and reminded us of the First Amendment's magic

Philly already has two simple, inexpensive solutions to our city’s trash crisis. Will Philly’s leaders finally step up?

Muralist Cesar Viveros, whose paintings are all over the city, has shifted his focus to activism and communion in the city’s Latino community

Real estate entrepreneur Lisa Wise turns first-time Washington, D.C. homebuyers into homeowners with no-strings-attached microgrants — and plans to do the same in Philly

Shops, cafés, pizza and water ice joints, beauty boutiques, bookstores, and even an auto mechanic whose Black owners are committed to making our city better

…except for voters?

Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn’t provide money for public defenders. What would it look like if they — like progressive prosecutors — had the resources to be reformers?

A column last week argued that Philly’s reputation as one of the highest taxed big cities in the nation was unwarranted. Center City District’s president responds.

Laura Keane has dedicated her career to closing the gap between being accepted to college, and being a college graduate

The transit agency’s new pilot will give 15,000 workers free Anywhere Passes. Philly 3.0's engagement director on why Key Advantage could save public transportation

Philadelphia photographer Danielle Morris, who will speak in University City Thursday, on her self-driven pursuit of fine art photography and the cultural reframing of Black speech

Mayor Kenney has been an inveterate spender. So why doesn’t his newest budget proposal invest more in working class growth, like mayors are doing in cities from Newark to Dayton?

In honor of Earth Day this week, clean Philly advocate Ya Fav Trashman shares his cures for our city’s litter epidemic

A Greater Philadelphia last week released poll data about the City’s sweetened beverage tax that showed residents divided. Here, the City’s first Pre-K director refutes the premise and results of the survey

Harvard economist Raj Chetty will delve into what Philly needs to alleviate poverty at a United Way event this week. Here, he talks with the nonprofit’s CEO Bill Golderer about the key to financial opportunity

Undaunted by losing her restaurant to the pandemic, Ange Branca is reimagining what the Philadelphia food scene can be

Philly’s new mask mandate made national news this week. Yay, us?

In Batesville, Arkansas, a high school’s solar panels saved the district enough money to raise teacher salaries. A similar program in Philly could save as much as $20,000 per school

A longtime college president urges Pennsylvania to learn from states like Illinois and Louisiana, which are increasing college attendance by requiring high schoolers to submit a free student aid application

How a retired Philly high school science teacher started an all-volunteer anti-litter operation in Cobbs Creek Park

Yes, we’re hosting a series exploring how capitalism can lessen inequality and create opportunity. Fire away, Twitterverse!

Indivisible Philadelphia is looking for volunteers to get out the vote in the most old-fashioned way possible: By knocking on doors (35 of them to be exact)

Geoff Gross’s wildly successful mission-driven company, Medical Guardian, is built on simple, affordable at-home tech that gives seniors security, connectedness—and self respect.

In a speech last week, Drexel’s Metro Finance head laid out ways that cities across the globe can use the post-pandemic “New Disorder” to make innovative, sustainable and much-needed progress

A new poll by civic nonprofit A Greater Philadelphia shows that despite the noise, it’s public safety and good government that matter most to Philadelphians

Councilmembers Kendra Brooks, Helen Gym and Jamie Gauthier, with an assist from Senator Elizabeth Warren, have proposed a drastic taxing of the rich in Philly. But are they unwittingly harming the middle class?

Unpacking Will Smith’s Oscars slap

Villanova’s basketball team is—again!—in the Final Four this year. So why do so few seem to care about yet another championship run by the most Philly of teams?

The paper’s recent well-meaning story about its own history on race relations raises overdue questions about class, too

The bad news, according to Philly 3.0’s engagement director? Too many vacancies remain. The good news? You can easily write yourself in to victory.

Sharif El-Mekki’s Center for Black Educator Development now has 99 apprentices in 14 states, and is working to create pipelines for Philly students to become the teachers they need

The public corruption trial of Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and a lawsuit against Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier puts the practice of councilmanic prerogative on trial

Reducing the wage gap for Black women could add more than $300 billion to the U.S. economy. That’s why, a local business owner notes, we should do all we can to help Black women entrepreneurs succeed

Announcing our 2022 Integrity Icons, principled public service heroes we all need. Vote for your favorite now.

Our legislators spend a ridiculous amount of time issuing honorifics, rather than actually legislating to solve Philly’s problems. WURD’s midday host offers a better way

America’s hottest city — Phoenix — lowered surface temperatures of a neighborhood by more than 10 degrees with a new water-based surface on its streets. Could Philly be next?

The three finalists for Philly’s new schools superintendent might very well be solid educators. But has anyone asked if that’s really what we need?

The Philadelphia School Board is on the verge of hiring a new superintendent. But, a former Temple education professor warns, it will take more than one person to transform our schools

Catching up with Dr. Charles Blockson, who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Marian Anderson and Langston Hughes, and whose namesake collection at Temple speaks to the importance of giving space to Black memory

Through wicked smart tweets and on-the-ground organizing, Dena Driscoll is the persistent activist we need to make a more livable Philadelphia

How to care for the over-burdened, burned-out moms of Covid. And why now, at the pandemic’s two-year mark, we actually have to.

The world is getting an inspiring crash course in leadership during crisis from a former comic in Ukraine. Is anyone who aspires to lead Philadelphia paying attention?

The Philadelphia Water Department's nationally-recognized Soak It Up Adoption program pays local community groups to help divert nearly 3 billion gallons of stormwater from our rivers every year

Could the answer to our disconnect be a program in 80 countries that allows you to borrow a person—a refugee, a sex worker, a police officer—and ask them anything you want?

The Delaware County DA, a child of a Ukrainian refugee, on being inspired by those “fearlessly carrying the torch of liberty” in his mother’s homeland

Find a pothole, get it fixed, win a prize! 

The Kenney administration’s stealth regulations on streateries shows yet more disdain for restaurateurs and their employees. Why vilify frontline workers?

A longtime college president urges educators—and anyone who cares about public schools—to watch and learn from the popular Philly-based sitcom

Want to get a drink that you can feel good about? Check out these awesome distilleries in Philadelphia serving up good spirits—from vodka to bourbon to inventively flavored bitters—and good causes for the community

Protecting both pedestrians and traffic flow is at the crux of the debate over redesigning Washington Avenue, which gets a hearing Tuesday. The answer may lie in a compromise used by cities around the world

With his Navy Yard-based company, Ecosave, Marcelo Rouco is providing the kind of win-win solution that’s good for businesses, the city and the planet.

Will the pandemic be a wake-up call about the weaknesses in emergency care? Or will it be a death blow? The answer is in what we do next. 

On Thursday, the school board will vote on a measure to encourage voter registration in Philly schools. Here, a Philly teacher and local college students sound off on why doing so is critical.

The shuttered golf course at FDR Park went beautifully wild just when we needed it at the start of the pandemic. Now, the City wants to turn it into artificial ball fields. A South Philly local wonders why we can’t have both.

Since The Citizen wrote about First Step Staffing in 2018, the nonprofit has placed thousands of vulnerable Philadelphians in entry level jobs around the region. Now, it’s launching Second Step to create even better opportunities for all.

The local fish subscription service started as a project at one South Philly high school. Now, it’s a burgeoning business with 300 customers citywide—and still run by the kids.

A former assistant DA hired by Krasner on why he can no longer support his former boss

Can a Philly program to prepare aspiring carpenters for the demands of a well-paying union job pave the way for women in the traditionally male industry?

Councilman Derek Green’s bill puts you, the taxpayer, in the banking business. What problem does it solve—and create?

Despite 10 years of planning, the City’s failure to deliver on promises to make the South Philly arterial safer is the handiwork of a longtime good governance nemesis: councilmanic prerogative

The program has helped 25 small, organic farmers preserve and cultivate 355 acres of farmland around Atlanta, launching new generations of growers and a healthy locally produced food scene. Could Philly be next?

Philly’s Democratic Socialists tried to upend the appointment of democracy-saving Republican Seth Bluestein to city commissioner. But two local pols demonstrated the real progressive ideals we need from our leaders.

Since 2014, Food Connect has tackled rampant food waste and hunger by solving the problem of logistics: connecting people in need of food with people who have excess

The mother-daughter duo’s own experience with “period poverty” inspired their Germantown nonprofit No More Secrets, which has distributed over 4 million menstrual products to women experiencing “period poverty” in the last year. 

A guide to breweries in Philadelphia that are raising funds for locals (and more) in need. Cheers!

What to know, what to do, what impact you can have

A collaboration between CHOP, Girard College and The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is meeting children in mental distress where they are most comfortable: school. Could this be a model for these overwhelming times?

How the Germantown resident turned the tragic loss of her daughter into a two-decade campaign to prevent teen dating violence in Philadelphia

Through passion projects like Amplify Philly at SXSW, Witty Gritty’s Michelle Freeman is one of the region’s biggest cheerleaders—both to locals, and to those outside our city who’d be wise to come on in

Rather than canceling student debt for everyone, a longtime college president points to recently revised standards for college loan forgiveness that apply to teachers, police officers, firefighters and others in public service

For progressives, it's the ultimate inconvenient truth: We need better, smarter policing and prosecution to combat gun violence. Eric Adams is saying that in NY. Anyone here care to agree?

A longtime political and civic leader reflects on the outsized legacies left by Lynn Yeakel, Sultan Ahmad and Steve Honeyman

Catching up with Dr. David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at CHOP, who has been blanketing the airwaves arguing that it’s time to rethink our Covid risk management strategies

In the Age of Self-Care, a Stanford psychologist suggests a better antidote to what ails us right now: focusing on other people

Camille Bell’s search for the perfect shade to “rock a red lip” prompted her to launch her own Philly-based lipstick brand tailored to every lip color. The first batch sold out in just 48 hours.

Amid a tsunami of crises, there’s still a way for Jim Kenney to turn things around and bring the city back: Become a quality-of-life mayor

The benefits of trees go beyond health, heat and economic equity—though those are reason enough to increase Philly's tree canopy. Here’s how other cities are doing just that.

New York and New Jersey have released new info showing that half of hospitalized patients who tested positive for Covid are actually there for other reasons. Why isn’t Gov. Wolf doing the same in PA?

In the eight years since co-founding the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project Joanna Visser Adjoian and Lauren Fine have helped dozens of young people stay out of adult prisons—and get the support they need to lead productive lives

Today we honor the great American pacifist. But it turns out that King’s relationship to guns was more complicated than you might expect.

Carpetbaggers, 2020 election result deniers, candidates—including a celebrity TV doc—spending personal fortunes, and connections to Communist China and the Turkish army. Welcome to democracy, PA-style

Vienna has ranked as the most livable city in the world for 10 years, in part due to rethinking its urban design with women and children in mind. Could a similar approach in Philly make our city more livable for all?

A longtime university president calls on local colleges to steal an idea from Michigan: recruit and educate the nearly 17,000 foster kids in Pennsylvania.

As temperatures stay low, many Philadelphians will urgently need to find warmth over the next several weeks. Here, some simple, impactful ways you can support them.

Online beefs are behind an increasing amount of violence in Philly. A local resident and teacher wonders what police can do to stop it—and what responsibility social media giants should face

Boston and New York City both instituted more sweeping vaccine mandates to keep their residents healthy. In Philly, we let Mummers strut. What more could Mayor Kenney do to ensure everyone gets their shots?

Mayor Kenney ended 2021 complaining that he’s responsible for things that are out of his control. Council President Darrell Clarke sees a power vacuum. Is that a good thing?

A neighbor of those lost in the tragic fire this week chronicles the horror, the sorrow and, fittingly, the community togetherness that has emerged

The Streets Department is making restaurants in Midtown Village dismantle their outside dining huts for non-emergency utility work set to start January 20. With Covid surging, and food businesses barely hanging on, is this really how to keep the city thriving?

Raheem “King” Saladeen has unlocked opportunities around the world with his artwork—including his ubiquitous “JP The Money Bear.” But his heart belongs to the city that raised him and the late friend who believed in him

As Covid surges in the region, the 70,000+ Philadelphians who work in the city’s food industry continue to face closures and loss of income. Here's how you can help them.

A new year means new chances to take action, get engaged and help make a better city for all of us. Here, 22+ ways to pitch in for Philly.

Democracy is crumbling, murder is on the rise, and Philly corruption still reigns supreme. So what’s there to feel good about?

2021 was another year of tragedy and hardship—and also hope and resilience. In other words: It was Philly.

Meet the folks who flipped off the Philly shrug this year

Ithaca, New York, eliminated the biggest barrier to civic engagement among parents. Could babysitting bring more voices into the conversation in Philly, too?

A well-reported Inquirer story about an exodus from the D.A.’s office and a PBS documentary series tell us who our district attorney really is—and why that’s hurting Philly

Some big city mayors are saying enough is enough and are—finally—doubling down on smart policing and prosecution. Here in Philly? Not so much

As we end a year with almost 550 homicides, an expert on the future of work offers five ways Philadelphia can help survivors move forward and live healthy, prosperous lives

How Terrill Haigler (a.k.a. Ya Fav Trashman), a former Philly sanitation worker with a gift for organizing — and for social media — became one of Filthadelphia’s most beloved and recognizable change-makers 

A lab accident inspired Beau Wangtrakuldee’s line of women-friendly personal protective equipment used by hospitals around the country. Covid-19 inspired a sustainable model that is also protecting the planet.

New maps to determine who will represent us in Harrisburg are being drawn up by state legislators. Philly 3.0’s engagement director runs down what we know so far—and what we can do keep the process fair.

An Earthworks advocate who lives in Queen Village happens to have the gear to spot methane leaks. What she’s learned in her own neighborhood is a scary sign of the air pollution our city misses everyday.

A transgender swimmer at Penn is setting NCAA records. Why haven’t we read about it in the Inquirer?

The attack on Asian-American high school students on SEPTA last month was another symptom of our city's broken systems. Could implementing Philly-wide restorative justice practices, as they do in Oakland, help heal our collective pain?

Nine big takeaways from The Philadelphia Citizen's fourth annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival at Fitler Club

The School District has 1,900 open positions, including in several classrooms that have no teachers. A longtime university president offers a way out of this disaster.

Pittsburgh is fighting light pollution by mandating dimmer, warmer and more environmentally-friendly fixtures in public streets and buildings. Don’t we want to see some stars in Philly, too?

A new bill would make it easier to build outdoor dining setups in Philadelphia. But, as Philly 3.0's engagement director notes, those rules mostly apply to the whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods.

The federal government has done its part, authorizing billions of dollars for infrastructure and other programs. Now, Drexel’s Metro Finance head says, it’s up to cities to use it well. Are you paying attention, Philly?

D.A. Larry Krasner is in denial, the mayor has thrown up his hands, and the police commissioner has gone MIA. But maybe the ultimate solution to our historic scourge of violence lies beyond them, anyway

Last year, Seer Interactive founder Wil Reynolds turned down a $50 million offer for his internet search firm. Instead, he’s investing his company’s wealth in his employees and his community

The Citizen's co-founder argued that a government bailout of newspapers was a bad idea. Penn’s chief innovation officer and board member of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism disagrees

A bill co-sponsored by Sen. Casey would help the one-third of American families who struggle to buy diapers for their babies. Passing it is good health, safety and economic sense, say the leaders of a local children’s charity

Okay, the moose is a joke, but here are five legit—and inexpensive—ways Philly can revive the splendor of our natural environs by rewilding

Orange County and other communities are using a Social Progress Index to measure success beyond economics. Could it help Philly solve its most pressing problems?

… when just about everyone in it is complicit. State Rep. Jared Solomon and Councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez have spoken out. But, in the aftermath of the Dougherty conviction, where are the others?

An Afghan refugee who worked for the U.S. government relates his family's harrowing experience fleeing the Taliban, making their way to the U.S.—and finding a welcoming home in Philadelphia

With his De-Carceration Fund, Chris Bentley plans to invest up to $20 million to radically change our unjust criminal justice system

Find something amazing for everyone on your gift list while supporting creators, communities and small businesses that give back

Everyone in the know says Michael O'Bryan is Philly's thought leader 'it' person of the moment. But no one can actually say what he does. Maybe that's because changing humanity is hard to sum up pithily.

A group of Philly high schoolers are playing football Tuesday to raise money for the mothers of shooting victims, and to connect with police officers. Their teacher asks the rest of us: What will you do to help?

In a special Citizen Zoom series, former mayoral candidate Sam Katz, State Rep. Jared Solomon and City Councilmember Maria Quiñones-Sánchez weigh in on how we got here and how we move forward

Democrats’ gigantic Build Back Better bill contains a government bailout for local journalism. Why does no one see a problem with that?

With food prices and hunger on the rise, giving what you can is especially important this holiday season. Here’s how you can help people and families for Thanksgiving in 2021.

As we experience ever-warming temperatures, Philadelphia is losing tree canopy. Join PHS’s tree planting bonanza to green, cool and heal our neighborhoods.

The plume of black smoke that erupted over Philly last week was another sign, WURD’s midday host and a Temple professor say, of the carelessness with which the City addresses real environmental concerns for mostly Black residents

Universities and students should consider “mission before major,” advises a long-time college president

Join us December 13th and 14th for ideas from across the country to foster “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Prosperity” here in Philly

We champion athletes speaking out on social issues. What to do when they turn out to be not so bright?

The co-founder of the B Corp movement has a challenge—and an invitation—for his fellow White men in these racially challenging times

This Veterans Day, Philly’s InterAct Theatre is among seven U.S. venues to stage a play culled from real vets’ stories about life in, and after, service to our country

The Salvadoran immigrant is a “social worker without a title” for new Philadelphians in her Elmwood Park neighborhood—a community often invisible to city government.

Philly 3.0’s engagement director breaks down the City Controller’s new report on trash pickup during the pandemic. Spoiler: Even garbage collection varies by neighborhood

Penn seniors Alan Jinich and Max Strickberger spent last semester road-tripping across the U.S. to capture young people’s pandemic experiences. The result is a staggering archive that captures this precarious moment in time

Progressives got shellacked. Will Philly Dems double-down on democratic socialism—or finally embrace being a governing party?

The District’s new magnet schools policy is putting the progressive push for equity under an uncomfortable lens. Does it even solve the problem we need to be solving?

In our divided times, Philadelphia Contemporary explores the healing power of empathetic listening with a 10-year art project that kicked off last month.

Queen Village resident Dana Donofree—one of Inc’s 2021 most inspiring female founders—has grown her line of “boob-inclusive” bras to 30,000 customers all over the world while helping raise awareness and support for breast cancer survivors

While Democrats tear down statues of Thomas Jefferson and deride parents’ involvement in schools, can Josh Shapiro’s campaign for governor point the way forward for his often bumbling party?

A prominent public interest attorney walks us through the farce of electing judges in Philadelphia

As the executive director of Penn’s Integrated Product Design program, Sarah Rottenberg inspires the next generation of inventors to solve problems at the intersection of humanity and design 

Less than 30 percent of Philadelphia residents have a bachelor's degree. One way to change that, a long-time college president says, is better access to high-quality childcare on campus

The Philly natives’ Dope Shows isn’t just changing the music and performance industry—it’s also building community and helping Philly youth

Does a rape in front of silent witnesses on the El signify that, amid rampant disorder, citizens have given up on that which keeps us all together: citizenship itself?

A natural convener, Sulaiman Rahman is helping to place people of color on boards and in high-powered jobs to make meaningful change to our city’s institutions

Twenty-five years after publishing his seminal book on race and sports, a renowned Wharton emeritus professor looks back with some provocative rethinking

A building industry official contends City Council’s proposal for “inclusionary housing” will make it harder to increase Philly's stock of affordable homes. But, he says, there is a solution: Building on public land

We're launching our second contest to name the city worker with the highest ethics and best customer service. Can we fame the little-known folks who do good for a change?

Along with Drexel’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, we’re kicking off a speakers series that features a host of bold-face names exploring the intersection of private real estate development and the public good.

Sudan Green’s Spirits Up! brings community-based yoga, mindfulness and peace to Black Philadelphians, who are still underserved by the wellness community. It is a revolutionary act for our times

Local tech guru Tracey Welson-Rossman had an idea for an app to help people with chronic illnesses track their symptoms back in 2009. The plight of Covid long-haulers prompted her to finally launch it this year

Chicago’s Urban Growers Collective grows fresh produce on a teaching farm and then brings it directly to citizens living in food deserts, a full-service program that goes beyond anything in Philly

More Philly walkers were hit by cars in 2020 than any other recent year. Blame for the City’s Vision Zero failure lies with a familiar culprit: councilmanic prerogative, says Philly 3.0’s engagement director

The West Philly native preaches sobriety, recovery and love to 93,000 Instagram followers and in a popular podcast. The key? Being “transparent” about his own lived experience

Another day, another trial of Philly’s once-powerful. This time, maybe there are some lessons to be learned for cleaning up our politics

Melanie Cataldi, the next in our series of Philadelphians working to change the status quo, turned her masters thesis into the hunger- and poverty-fighting culinary school at Philabundance. The goal: Ending hunger for good

In honor of Mural Arts Month, a longtime college president not only nominates Jane Golden for a MacArthur Genius Award, she urges educators from pre-school to grad school to respect and promote the arts—not cut them.

Multiple studies find that environmental fixes to low-income neighborhoods reduce gun violence dramatically. WURD’s midday host combines five of them into one bold plan

Jo Piazza and Christine Pride’s new Philly-based novel is about a cross-racial friendship tested by the police shooting of a young Black teen. But really, it’s a way to start the hard conversations we need to have

As we prepare for approval of the Covid vaccine for children, what have we learned so far about efforts to get shots in arms?

Jefferson Health CEO Steve Klasko is rethinking the very delivery of medicine, taking on the racial health gap, trying to get our eds and meds to focus on equity...and still deejaying

Superintendent Hite’s announcement this week that he’s leaving the post at the end of the school year is an opportunity for Philadelphia. Here, a wish list of possible school leaders.

The next in our series on change agents is Jen Devor, a one-time candidate who promised to revolutionize the way Philly votes. She lost the race—but is still working to build the best citizens of her city.

Councilmember Derek Green wants to bring the polling method here—which could, Philly 3.0’s engagement director says, help elect the people’s choice in an especially competitive 2023 race.

Philly nonprofit UliftU provides training and jobs for recently incarcerated Philadelphians while tackling chronic diseases in under resourced communities

It’s so hard to be optimistic these days. But look closely and you’ll find reasons for hope all around us.

The first in our new series spotlighting Philly change agents is Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, president/CEO of Philadelphia Youth Network, which prepares our city’s young people for lives beyond poverty

City Council’s housing policy power grab is crippling Philly’s big-picture goals on affordability and climate. Where, Philly 3.0’s engagement director wonders, is Mayor Kenney in all this?

Philly mom Bo Zhao's two-year-old business lets families lease baby gear, saving thousands of dollars and keeping used items out of the landfill

Could a locally-made line of toys be an antidote to the world’s problems?

At the epicenter of the region’s opioid and homelessness crisis, the River Wards have been all but abandoned by city leaders. But does the City already have a solution to the problem?

The Citizen is collaborating with Keepers of the Commons to spotlight and uplift the people whose ideas are making our city—and our lives—better. Get ready to meet the next class of great Philly changemakers

The state is giving about $40 million in grants to community groups this year to fight gun violence. Will it stop the shootings?

Social Venture Partners is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in local nonprofits that fight poverty. But it’s their “engaged philanthropy” that really sets them apart.

The rage-inducing opening of the new school year illustrates why good management matters—and how our leaders are failing us

The Philadelphia Equity Alliance has an audacious goal: To make Philly the most equitable big city in America. Just as groundbreaking is the relationship forming between its co-chairs, businessman Michael Forman and labor leader Ryan Boyer

A Philly school teacher and veteran who helped create literacy programs in Afghanistan reflects on the incredible people he encountered—and urges help for those who are arriving in our city

Recess improves students’ mental health. But green schoolyards, says the state director of the Trust For Public Lands, can help even more.

We are at a pivotal moment of churn and reevaluation in careers. Here, Future Works Alliance PHL’s founder lays out how to know if you’re ready.

A new report commissioned by Penn puts the horrifying spectacle in full context—and offers ideas on how to fix what’s broken

The new online tool PropelPHL doesn’t just connect employers to diverse job-seekers. It aims to be the crucial missing link between Philly talent, Philly jobs and Philly resources.

Let’s commit to be all in on making this pandemic school year the best it can be

A longtime college president on why a “return to normal” is the last thing our universities should do

The sniping and pettiness this week among Mayor Kenney, District Attorney Krasner and Council President Clarke advertises why they’re failing at curbing gun violence

Circular Philadelphia is working to eliminate landfills by constantly repurposing our waste. Could it also be an avenue to economic growth in Philly?

State law requires that caseworkers place children who were removed from their parents with kin—but Philly lags behind Los Angeles and Lackawanna County in getting the job done.

Philly is still the only big city without widespread street cleaning. A new app from MilkCrate and Ya Fav Trashman is stepping in to pay individuals a living wage to help clean up.

Penn grads Christina Miranda and Amanda Moreno launched Be Body Positive Philly to empower high schoolers to live peacefully and healthfully in their bodies

Want to win elections? Voters around the country seem to be embracing common sense problem-solvers more than the Woke and MAGA crowds would have you believe. Are you listening, Helen Gym, et al?

The City and Reinvestment Fund’s Food Justice Initiative supports equitable access to healthy food. This month, they’re offering another $380,000 for community-driven solutions to historic food injustice

The city and state saw population gains, according to the 2020 Census. Now, Philly 3.0’s engagement director says, the fight over legislative districts begins.

Steward's Farmacy is a game-changing food delivery service offering fresh produce grown by local Black and brown farmers to Philadelphians at affordable prices

There’s been a lot of talk in the last year about systemic racism. Congressman Dwight Evans has an idea to actually do something about it.

Those Nerdy Girls of Dear Pandemic have spent the last 15 months sharing science-backed info with their 100,000 followers. They have some advice for how to get us through this next wave

A Philly educator and urbanist bemoans what’s happened to Center City—and urges a renewed sense of urgency to protect our shared spaces

Tirzah Blair’s spa startup is built around a surprisingly rare notion in the beauty world: Taking the "mean girl" out of the business

Since New York required vaccines for city employees, shots surged 40 percent. Is it time, Philly 3.0’s engagement director asks, for the same here, too?

The favorite bourgeois solution to homelessness won’t solve the problem and reveals sneering class bias, a formerly homeless Philadelphian and City staffer says. Why aren’t we doing what actually works?

Unlike many other leaders, Delco DA Jack Stollsteimer and City Council members Isaiah Thomas and Allan Domb speak with a no-nonsense sense of urgency. That’s a start.

A combination of the contagious Delta variant and high numbers of unvaccinated people is causing Covid cases to rise again. A critical care physician at Penn Medicine helps us understand how worried we should be—and what we can do

An intergenerational therapy program for formerly incarcerated men with violent pasts strives to help everyone thrive post-incarceration. Could it be a path to less gun violence?

Four local universities will be searching for new presidents in the next couple of years. Let’s be sure, a longtime college president says, they are principled leaders who can help transform the region.

The Philly native and Temple-trained choreographer has gone viral with dances that celebrate the Black queer experience—and offer hope for all of us

Philadelphians are fed up with the garbage piling up on our streets. That’s why, Philly 3.0’s engagement director notes, the next mayor may be the one with a vision for cleaning up the city

How cities and states use federal rescue funds to spark recovery can be the difference between success and failure, Drexel’s Metro Finance head says. Here, learnings Philly should heed.

Half the team is unvaccinated. Here's why Phillies manager Joe Girardi has failed the test of leadership by saying it's a "personal choice."

A Philly pastor and activist urges legislators to ensure high speed internet is not just available everywhere, but affordable to every American 

The recent Harriton High School grad started a motor rally to spur conversation about toxic masculinity while raising money to help survivors of sexual abuse

Shannon Morales’ new business connects forward-thinking companies with diverse tech talent—while building community to sustain the work

According to new Penn research, home improvements can cut homicides by nearly 22 percent. Philly 3.0’s engagement director breaks down what that means for Philly

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, Controller Rebecca Rhyhant and other elected leaders blasted Mayor Kenney yesterday for his inaction on gun violence. So what’s their plan?

Residents of one South Philly block tried for months to get the City to take action against businesses piling garbage on their street. Why is it so hard to get anyone to listen?

A former schools leader warns that, in a city that can't even reliably pick up residents' trash, change begins with expecting more from our officials

Having given more than 8,000 free haircuts to people experiencing homelessness in Philly and beyond, one local father is serving up not just style, but dignity

A history of management snafus under Superintendent Bill Hite can only make you wonder if we’re able to seize this potentially transformative moment

36 million Americans have earned some college credits but no degree. A longtime college president says it’s time to honor what they have learned in life and help them attain degrees.

In Akron and elsewhere, city governments are rewarding shoppers for spending money at mom-and-pop shops. Why shouldn’t Philly do the same?

Here are some ways schools can take action and demonstrate a commitment to anti-racism that is essential for reducing pandemic learning loss

The St. Louis-based nonprofit LaunchCode has recently come to Philly to fuel our tech talent pipeline, with training and job placement that support marginalized candidates

In his new book, Penn professor Joseph Turow warns about a growing smart tech industry determined to use our voices in ways that should alarm us. It’s not too late to take back control.

A historian’s look at the 1844 riots, policing and nativism in Philly reminds us that this democracy has always been fractured, fragile—and worth protecting

In the months since George Floyd’s murder, American businesses have fallen over themselves to declare that Black lives matter. Now, at least 10 new venture funds offering over $350 million in socially-good investment are actually doing something to make a fairer Philly

Philly’s modern-day Renaissance man has published the first-ever definitive history of U.S. business. And it’s a timely reminder that there really is something exceptional about the idea of America

Two Philly entrepreneurs are jumping into the $4 trillion wellness industry with a new platform that rethinks what wellness looks like, who it’s for, and how it can be accessed by everyone

The local tech execs are using Salesforce training to help bring a group of West Philadelphians out of poverty. Next up: Jobs

Is a vaccine collaboration between Penn and West Philly faith leaders a roadmap to more equitable healthcare?

Mural Arts Philadelphia's Fellowship for Black Artists is funding work by 20 local creators. Here's who they are

A prominent pastor has called for Mayor Kenney to step down. Would that be a good thing?

36 million Americans suffer from migraines, missing a total of 113 million work days a year—but only 4 percent receive specialist care. One local tech startup is on a mission to bring comprehensive relief to everyone

The local biz goes beyond your typical co-working space, to really help creatives thrive. Up next? A potential expansion to other cities.

When trash pickup was again delayed this week, it raised the question: Why doesn’t local government see its citizens as part of the solution? A former city official offers ideas for how the City can do better to meet our expectations

A local program has taught wealth-building skills to 1,500 students and the adults in their lives. Now, it's growing—with the support of powerful local institutions—to take the poverty-fighting work nationwide

Sports teams can make or break a city’s soul. Wednesday night’s loss was a historic collapse, but there’s one way the Sixers can save us from our angst tonight in Atlanta

A financial advisor-turned-social work professor has launched a Penn course that teams up students with formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs to help them launch their businesses—and stay out of prison

Austin Chiang, self-professed “medical mythbuster,” is changing the way people get their (correct, research-based) health information … and absolutely killing it on social media.

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway was a bold idea a century ago. As the city embarks on a redesign of our own Champs Elysees, a local urbanist has ideas for making it so again

Council is pushing the mayor to spend $100 million on gun violence prevention programs. Is that bold policy-making or the appearance of it?

Darrell Alston has walked many paths — athlete, rapper, inmate. All of them have led to the role he’s filling now, as CEO and lead designer of a new Philly-based high-end sneaker line

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is embedding the arts in myriad city agencies with a bold, economy-boosting goal that Philly should emulate: supporting art in every neighborhood in the city

City leaders became experts at handling decline in the last half of the last century. Now, a former city official wonders, can they rise to the occasion and capitalize on growth?

City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart offered an alternative spending plan for the city’s federal recovery funds with real, measurable goals. Philly 3.0’s engagement director lays out what that could mean for Philly

What’s the one thing few leaders are talking about as we secure a $2.7 billion windfall? Growing jobs. Is there a plan for that?

The corridor stretching from City Hall to Germantown Avenue will never be “Avenue of the Arts”—or Northern Liberties or...any of the city’s “Hot ‘Hoods.” And that just might be a good thing.

I’m a Black man who drives a BMW. Four times since George Floyd’s murder, I’ve been pulled over and asked whose car I was driving…and if I had a weapon.

The eco-friendly, socially-minded soap biz exploded during the pandemic—so did its impact in...Haiti?

Whether your child fell behind or could just use a bit of enrichment, there are plenty of Philly resources offering extra help between now and September. Plus: How to volunteer and donate, whether or not you have kids of your own

Troubled by the problems tearing Philly apart, a former mayor unearths an old Broadway song to inspire us. Will we rise to his challenge and love our city as much as Ed Rendell?

An Oregon-based prison running program is helping incarcerated women with their mental and physical health, while giving them tools that discourage recidivism. Could it do the same in Philly?

Want to boost Covid vaccination rates in Philly? We should take a cue from any number of state and local governments around the country—Free cars! Savings bonds! A million bucks!!— and incentivize that shot

Lee Wallach's Philly-based meal delivery service doubled its business in 2020, while continuing to create a workplace that is good for employees and the earth

The final episode of The Philadelphia Citizen’s podcast exploring stories and solutions from the front lines of Philly’s gun epidemic meets the mothers who are solving their children’s murders when no one else can

Whether you’ve got a budding artist, activist, or future tech wiz on your hands, these Philly summer activities will keep ’em entertained, engaged, and energized. Here, our 2021 guide to warm-weather things to do with kids in Philadelphia

We saw an unprecedented push to make living, working and participating in our civic life easier for Philly residents during the pandemic. A former city official urges our leaders to keep that momentum going.

Two-thirds of Philly third graders are behind in reading. Will a new program the District is launching in September change that? The answer may lie in Bethlehem, PA.

District attorney Krasner is facing a climbing homicide rate, pushback from the police and skepticism from the community. A report from The Trace wonders: If he wins, can his platform survive?

The latest episode of The Philadelphia Citizen’s podcast exploring stories and solutions from the front lines of Philly’s gun epidemic looks at how supporting victims and their families can help stop the transmission of violence.

In Philly, as in the country as a whole, anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise. An all-volunteer chaperone service in Oakland, California, is doing its part to protect the community

At last week’s D.A. primary debate, candidates Larry Krasner and Carlos Vega both made—and disputed—various claims about their histories. In anticipation of another debate on WURD Wednesday, we fact-checked the back-and-forth

A national food writer looks at what a pandemic reset could mean for an industry long in need of reinvention. Join her, Fork’s Ellen Yin, Hip City Veg’s Nicole Marquis, Baltimore's Irena Stein and Brooklyn’s Sean Feeney for an event this month.

While murder and shootings have spiked in Philly and elsewhere, both Camden and Newark have made progress in reducing gun violence by adopting smart policing techniques. Why don’t we do what they’ve done?

Philly is the nation’s first startup. So, in this budget season, why not put old talking points behind us…and pivot?

No, we’re not likely to get rid of the corruption-prone Sheriff's Office anytime soon. But a former city official has a solution for ensuring the office does right by residents.

Art collectors/philanthropists Michael Forman and Jennifer Rice want to help Philly's cultural scene come back stronger—and more inclusive—than ever. With their $3 million Art Works initiative, they’re not waiting for anyone else’s permission.

Center City’s Tria Cafe brought back its beloved Fermentation School (virtually) to help it survive the pandemic. Who needs tables anyway?

Phase III of the School District’s back to campus plan launches next week—a colossal effort to give kids eight days of in-person learning. Our Mystery Shopper reviewed how it's going.

Get Fresh Daily founder and recent Well City Challenge winner Jiana Murdic is making healthy food accessible to her community—with a special focus on Black moms like her

Lost amid the safety versus reform back-and-forth of the DA’s race is a central question: Has DA Krasner reformed prosecution, or just not prosecuted?

Penn, Harvard, and other elite universities have rejected a record number of applicants this year. A longtime college president says it’s time to reconsider how we select—and fund—colleges

Episode four of The Philadelphia Citizen’s podcast exploring stories and solutions from the front lines of Philly’s gun violence epidemic looks at the power of meaningful jobs in curbing violence.

Sojourner House, named after the human rights activist Sojourner Truth, has been a haven for women who have been abused for 33 years. The need—and what we know about it—has changed little since then.

Two recent Penn grads are pioneering an improv program for teens in Philly’s public schools. Its impact is no laughing matter.

After six years on an intense spiritual quest, the former Sixers owner and Philly cheerleader is back with a new mission: kickstarting a health and wellness movement for cancer patients

District attorney candidate Carlos Vega responds to last week’s guest commentary

Taking action to protect our planet is the work of our lifetime. Ready to dive in? Here are 50+ ways you can actually make an impact.

Why I couldn't bring myself to watch the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd

The Philadelphia Citizen’s 2021 Municipal Primary Voter Lottery will give three Philly citizens $1,000 each just for voting. Could it be you?

A group of law students in India is working to “translate” the country’s laws so that every citizen can understand their rights and responsibilities. A similar effort here could be one way to make our government more accessible to Philadelphians, too.

A May pre-trial hearing for a seven-year-old school funding lawsuit in Pennsylvania has a state politics watcher wondering: Could this finally mean more money for schools that need it?

Author and podcaster Jo Piazza spent a year trying to understand Philly’s gun violence epidemic—and identify ways to solve it. Listen to the groundbreaking seven-episode series starting today

Heading to the polls on May 18? Our voter guide lays out everything you need to know to vote like a champ.

As FutureWorks Alliance PHL’s founder testified at City Council Tuesday, remote work for City employees is not one-size-fits-all. Here’s how to plan for a technological future that’s smart and equitable.

The City "courtesy towed" a Philly driver's car. Here, we evaluate the process for getting it back.

Nearly 500 public buildings in Philly—not to mention rowhomes—have barriers to access for people in wheelchairs. Germany’s “LEGO Granny” has a brightly colored way to help

The St. Christopher’s pediatrician is constantly finding new ways to uplift Philly youth. His latest endeavor: Need-a-Net Philly, a grassroots movement to repair basketball hoops—and restore dignity to neighborhoods.

With an election looming and body bags piling up at an alarming rate, can D.A. Larry Krasner skirt accountability?

Citizens are invited to apply this week to be the deciding vote on what new political districts look like in Pennsylvania. The Committee of 70's CEO lays out why that matters

The local artist is drawing attention to the economic crisis in the restaurant industry and the environmental impact of our disposable culture through her new portrait series on takeout containers

The West Philly resident is executing his vision of responsible development through the company he owns with his mom—while throwing in a side of Concrete Cowboy Hollywood dreams

Emma Copley Eisenberg, author and co-founder of Blue Stoop, the nonprofit that nurtures writers of all walks, pays tribute to the thing she’s missed most during the pandemic: her community.

A collaboration between several local organizations has distributed more than $15 million in affordable loans to the Latinx community in North Philly — and it’s just getting started.

Yo, Mayor Kenney! This time of crisis is actually an opportunity to revisit an idea from the ‘90s: the city and surrounding counties joining forces to form an economic behemoth

Thanks to a citywide volunteer effort to get 18-year-olds to the polls, they came out in record numbers last year. Now they’re taking the work statewide to keep the momentum going

It’s not enough for Hilco to promise it will create an environmentally safe commercial hub on the site of the 2019 South Philly explosion. All of us, a Penn PhD candidate insists, need to make sure it happens

With Concrete Cowboy premiering on Netflix this week, Neighborhood Film Company’s Ricky Staub and local actor/activist OG Law check in about telling an authentic Black story, saving Philly’s urban riders—and having Idris Elba on your side

The city stands to receive $1.4 billion. How confident are you that the Kenney administration will put it to good use?

The local company in the burgeoning field of esports is knocking down barriers and bringing more players into the—potentially lucrative—fray

There have been 161 reported rapes in Philly already this year. Here, a victim of rape shares how the system has continued to fail her and other survivors.

What happened when we tried to pay taxes to the Philadelphia Department of Revenue

An intergenerational program from Penn Memory Center and Temple University combats isolation in older adults and gives students valuable caregiving experience—and now, it’s gone virtual

...and that should be a good thing. A longtime university president maps the way forward for universities—and the students they serve

At Penn Medicine, white workers were three times more likely to sign up for a vaccine than Black workers. Dr. Florencia Greer Polite and fellow Black physicians set out to change that with a program getting noticed across the country

A mass shooting in Georgia put Asian Americans on even higher alert after a year of increased racial incidents. Here’s how you can help.

Saxbys has been training young, socially-conscious entrepreneurs and uplifting local communities for years. Now, it’s “walking the talk” with its new B Corp status

Camden-based Hopeworks is expanding its job training and placement mission with an eye to fighting regional poverty, hundreds of jobs at a time

Catching up with the chef, photographer and fashion entrepreneur on the journey to launching his “Black folk cooking” empire this month

Checking in with the local heroes who manufactured PPE 24/7, raised millions (!) for small businesses, kept our neighbors fed and more. Philly, you rock.

Two recent public policy press conferences raise the question: Do Philly leaders have any new ideas for old, intransigent problems? Maybe one gaping problem is an opportunity for new thinking

Union boss John Dougherty was indicted again this week, and 12 percent of City Council is facing corruption charges. One outraged elected official is calling for an end to the scourge of Philly politics

In an industry known for high levels of burnout, one local ad agency has a different blueprint for success: taking care—great care—of its employees

Locally and nationally, getting shots into arms has been a disaster. A longtime college president says the answer to preventing this in future is clear: education

Covid has wreaked havoc on women’s careers—but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Join Future Works Alliance and The Citizen for an event next week on where to go from here

Rising house prices should mean rising tax revenue to help close Philly’s budget gap. Too bad, Philly 3.0’s engagement director notes, the City’s property office is still too dysfunctional to reassess values

Former Governor Ed Rendell and Congressman Dwight Evans voice their concerns for the state of Philadelphia

A Wharton MBA for Executives candidate has launched a site to help Americans find open vaccine appointments. Because we need all the help we can get

A youth-led after-school media program helps young Philadelphians cover issues important to, and about, them. Are you listening, big media?

Another scandal prompts a former city official—and one-time candidate for the job—to call for getting the Sheriff’s Office out of the City’s real estate business

The Covid Relief Bill includes much-needed funding for city services—if, Philly 3.0’s engagement director cautions, Congress doesn’t take it away

As Women's History Month kicks off, two local historians suggest honoring our own “Rosa Parks” with a statue in Marconi Plaza

The city has finally started planning for ways to help students make up for pandemic-related learning loss. But do we really want to just get back to normal?

Some debt forgiveness could help students and the economy. But a longtime college president makes the case for another strategy: Preventing the debt in the first place.

It’s getting harder for independent restaurants to survive. Could the sharing economy of pop-ups help preserve diversity in our food businesses?

If we really want a robust debate in 2023, how about some bold, unconventional candidates? Here, a list of unusual suspects.

A Fairmount resident’s encounter with rodents — in broad daylight! — sent her on an odyssey to get city action. Here’s what happened … and what you can do about Philly pests, too.

Mural Arts’ participatory quilting project invites all of us to imagine—and create—a city budget that reflects who we want to be

Penn’s Orphan Disease Center turns 10 this year. Its promise for Philadelphia goes well beyond science

Big Picture Alliance’s screening of youth-created films explores how the pandemic has affected young people—and the resilience they continue to show in the face of adversity

You may be donating, volunteering, voting and protesting to live your values. But, ImpactPHL’s executive director wonders, do you know where your money sleeps at night?

Jezabel’s Argentine Bakery & BYO is doing better than ever in its 10-year history by pivoting to not just survive, but thrive during the pandemic—a start to rethinking the restaurant industry as we have known it

The local product design company tackles awesomely out-there projects while weaving sustainability throughout every aspect of its work. A latte in outer-space, anyone?

Amy Gutmann’s $100 million pledge to the school district proved again how she is making Penn a leader among elite universities. A longtime college president offers ideas for what else Penn could do for Philly.

More than 30 cities, including ours, have signed on to give unrestricted cash payments to some residents this year. Is this a progressive fad or the way to really fix what ails us?

The president and CEO of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on why we should mobilize medical students to jumpstart the vaccination rollout

America may have moved on from the deadly Capitol siege. But the show of political and ideological force will continue to define us—if we let it.

It’s no surprise that local restaurants have spent the Covid-19 crisis finding ways to give to their community. Here, 11 generous local spots you can support with your takeout order

Guru Technologies and Fishtown Analytics are defying tech-world stereotypes by prioritizing diversity, community and philanthropy

A volunteer team of women scientists, many from Philly, launched Dear Pandemic last year to spread real and clear information about Covid-19. They now speak to 1 million people a month.

A Penn student looks back on a whiplash year that forced her to confront her own assumptions: How could she preach voting when she wasn’t sure she’d vote?

The race for DA is off to a too-familiar start. Here’s hoping it will include a debate over what smart reform might look like

Philly’s once-in-a-generation turnout helped give Joe Biden the presidency. But in North Philly’s Hunting Park, voters mostly stayed home. What will get them to the polls next time?

Now is the time to capitalize on the greatest civic engagement in a generation. A former city official lays out a plan to do that.

With its new online subscription service, local contemporary dance company BalletX continues its tradition of breaking the mold. Could its pivot model a way forward for the beleaguered arts community in Philly, and elsewhere?

While Covid-19 has forced the closure of many after-school programs, Photography Without Borders continues to empower North Philly youth with cameras, connections—and confidence. And now, the students’ work has gone national.

Feeling alienated from your government, at all levels? Maybe we should open it up and change our relationship to it

Our Drexel class on rewriting Philly’s constitution last year produced dozens of ideas. Here are some of the best for changing the relationship between government and the governed.

With the hit documentary The Social Dilemma and her latest children's book, the author, filmmaker and philanthropist continues to empower young people

A new financial wellness program at CHOP has helped families recoup $700,000 owed to them in an effort to tackle a critical vital sign: poverty

A day after thugs waving confederate flags and wearing “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirts breached the Capitol, a talk with a Trump-supporting Republican state senator offers some hope

Share Food has fed more than 1 million people a month since last March. That, says its executive director, has required some creative pivoting.

A local futurist—and former City official—on how the mayor could make his next budget a legacy of vision, equity and modernization. Hint: Start at zero.

A local high school teacher’s ode to the so-Philly thing we’ve all missed most this year: community

Philadelphians, especially the most vulnerable, face increasing devastation due to climate change. Local clean air advocates look to President-elect Biden to renew a much-needed partnership to help the city and the planet

One civic leader’s take on how the pandemic can be an opportunity for reinvention

A compendium of the things we cared about in a super crappy year

Philadelphia’s schools superintendent has taken some hits lately. Does he have what it takes to manage—and tame—a $3.5 billion bureaucracy?

The pediatric ER doctor and public health manager is using every avenue possible to heal the other epidemic in our midst: gun violence

Catching up with the AG on his take-no-prisoners Supreme Court Brief that helped to expose the fraud that is Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud

Join us next Tuesday to hear the best-selling author and inspirational orator hold forth on his new book, Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America, in a conversation with Citizen contributor Dr. James Peterson

A Penn professor and novelist on what life would be like if we could see the sacred in each other

Mike Maher’s growing, Philly-based real estate company has launched a nonprofit arm that's poised to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help underserved people buy homes

We can all make the holidays brighter for others this year. Here, some simple, tangible, impactful ways to get started

New Kensington Community Development Corporation has stepped in where government has failed, to help neighborhood businesses survive the pandemic. Could this be a model for other communities?

A year ago, she was the best hope for reform in Philly politics. But now Republican State Rep. Martina White has thrown her lot in with the crazies who deny the results of a free and fair election.

Six years ago, developer Lindsey Scannapieco set out to turn an old South Philly school building into a space for Philly’s creative class. She overcame neighborhood skeptics to become so much more.

Five takeaways from Week 2 of our Ideas We Should Steal Festival—and ways we can all make a better city

Check out our annual gift guide to discover a host of Philly-made goods that give back

We know that people of color suffer more from Covid-19. A Philly-born researcher makes the case that racism makes the pandemic worse for everyone

A soaring new documentary from Sam Katz's History Making Productions explores the Philadelphia Orchestra’s role in the revival of classical music in China almost 50 years ago ... and the lasting global impact today

We laughed, we cried, we learned so much. Here's just a teaser from the opening night of our 3rd annual Festival. Join us for the remaining evenings to be part of the solution.

After last year’s Ideas We Should Steal Festival, The Citizen awarded $50,000 to pilot a basketball-based gun violence reduction program in Philly. Its long journey has just begun.

Here, our regularly updated guide to specific ways you can continue to help communities affected by Covid-19

The key to unlocking more civic engagement in elections could be you

The insights on government penned in the city centuries ago, and the work of religious and community organizations here today, point a way forward for America

Local chefs are serving food to those in need, while fueling awareness and action around social justice

The election results reveal the potential for a transformative new coalition—if Joe Biden and progressives have the guts to go there

Wharton professor Katy Milkman is co-leading groundbreaking research, along with her Penn colleague Angela Duckworth, to uncover why we make the decisions we do, and how we can make better ones—that stick

Join The Citizen in December to hear from Jane Golden, Shepherd Fairey, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Hank Willis Thomas, and many more

Can satire help change the world? Roy Wood Jr. says yes.

Catching up with Delaware Rabbi Michael Beals, also known as “Joe Biden’s rabbi”

A trio of entrepreneurs has brought their proprietary cleaning product to Philly to keep businesses clean and customers safe in the age of Covid-19

Connor Barwin’s Make The World Better Foundation is rallying behind Friday’s international day of, well, being a solid human. You should, too

With Hill-Freedman World Academy’s fourth album, students weave the anguish of 2020 into powerful new music

Who’s up? Who’s down? And is there a path forward for a President Biden to change the tone of our politics?

The unsung health heroes of the pandemic have risen to the challenge of new job descriptions

Chicago invited citizens to come up with solutions to the challenges of outdoor winter dining. Philly should put out the same call.

Election Day is officially November 3—but now is the time to get ready to vote. Here, everything you need to know to cast a ballot

Some cities have deployed dedicated teams to combat the racial disparities exposed and exacerbated by Covid-19.

If we really want to honor Walter Wallace Jr., let's look at and consider implementing some of these successful—systemic—solutions from around the world

We hosted a block party during a pandemic, and it was great

Independence Blue Cross and The Economy League have launched an innovative approach to addressing the surprising health needs of an entire generation

A who’s who of civic leaders are behind Philadelphia Community Stakeholders’ new—free—pod for local students. The next challenge is scaling it.

The first-ever virtual Freedom Schools Literacy Academy models liberation education — and gets results

A legendary UArts professor of innovation says the advent of the secret ballot fueled voter apathy

Along with delicious food, a new pop-up food hall at Temple offers an innovative, stigma-free solution to campus hunger

The South Jersey teacher and founder of BookSmiles has created a magical book bank, where teachers can load up on books to give to their students. The cost? Free.

Well before this summer’s racial awakening, civic leaders in Buffalo came together to not only talk about race, but work on real systemic change. Is it a model for other cities?

#VoteThatJawn and Fresh Artists tap an army of kiddos to turn out the parent vote

The local software company proves that investing in the well-being of employees and the community can be good for the bottom line, too

A veteran political consultant warns that by not adjusting for new pandemic voting patterns, pollsters may be missing worrisome drop-offs in Black and Latino voting

A growing body of research suggests that the leadership we need right now could—quite literally—be all around us

The ascension of Wharton’s Erika James, IBX’s Gregory Deavens and Comcast’s Dalila Wilson-Scott points to refreshing change among the city’s leadership class

A new album featuring Philly musicians is raising money for Women Against Abuse and the survivors of intimate partner violence who rely on the organization’s life-saving services

Erika H. James, Wharton’s first-ever female and African American leader, will address the pressing issues facing businesses in the States, and around the world

The small city of Sandusky, Ohio, cancelled the out-of-step holiday in favor of one much needed. We should do that in Philly, too.

It’s nearly three years in. Is there any data to suggest the progressive experiment of D.A. Larry Krasner is or is not working?

Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s anti-violence program has helped reduce shootings in Chicago’s South Side by 33 percent—while citywide, violence has spiked. The key? Economic opportunity

When the pandemic hit Philly, a local photojournalist felt called to chronicle what was happening in his community. His months with the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium revealed heroism in the midst of tragedy

State Rep. Jared Solomon spent a day picking up city trash to understand just how bad Philly is at waste. Here, some ways to do better

A Lower Merion senior co-founded a student-run foreign policy media outlet that hammers home Gen Z’s commitment to tackling global problems—by finding common ground

Catching up with bestselling author, professor, preacher and public intellectual Michael Eric Dyson, whose much-anticipated forthcoming book provides a roadmap from racial reckoning to reconciliation

Good citizenship can be as simple as meeting neighbors where they are—even during a pandemic. The Better Civics co-founders offer ideas for how to do that

The Sixers may be struggling. But through their support of NBA Math Hoops, Philly-area kids get the all-star treatment for excelling—in the classroom

Ken Weinstein’s anti-gentrification training program, with six spin-offs in the city and region, is keeping development local—and bringing women and people of color into the industry

Could the proposed Healthy Town Tioga Project be the solution to the disparities that plague Philly?

Missing from the NBA players’ historic wildcat strike last month was a call for bold action on economic justice. If only they’d heard of Philly nonprofit B Lab

In an email exchange between Council President Clarke and a constituent, not even a murder epidemic can prompt an empathetic response. This is your tax dollars at work?

Philly’s new Youth Poet Laureate doesn’t just write well—she does G.O.O.D.

The Future Works Alliance wants to prove to the world that Philly is ready, open and planning for the world of automation. Here’s how you can help.

It’s not that people don’t care, the founders of a new civic engagement nonprofit contend. It’s that our electoral system continuously puts up barriers to voting. Here’s what we all can do about it

The four-year-old Philly company—started by a millennial and a boomer—takes on social isolation by providing an easy platform for 50,000 older adults worldwide to connect

Can Philly’s Innovation Management group make “bureaucrat” a synonym for “problem-solver” in City Hall, one employee at a time?

Two dead in a Spring Garden playground is just the latest example of a murder epidemic overtaking the city. The mayor and City Council president will hold a press conference today … about Donald Trump

Center City venture capitalist and philanthropist Richard Vague has a stimulus plan that will boost the economy and address inequality. Will the political class listen?

With Covid-19 food shortages looming, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society mobilized thousands of gardeners to grow food and feed their neighbors this year—an act that builds community resilience. Here, some gardening photos to inspire your own growing season.

Portland, Oregon, just passed the most revolutionary urban zoning reform in recent history to keep residents from being displaced. In Philly, that could bring housing relief to tens of thousands

The city needs to recruit another 4,000 people to work the polls on November 5. Here’s why it matters — and some ways we can prevent this last minute scramble in the future

Two local schools are showing that maybe kids know better than adults what real education and civic engagement look like

A virtual panel discussion last week was full of talk of reform. But you wouldn’t have known we’re in the midst of a tragic murder epidemic

A $10 million investment this year has helped make the eco-friendly local laundry pod business the city’s fastest growing company. The secret? Eliminating the stupid.

Thanks to the pandemic, chef and native Philadelphian Omar Tate brought his lauded pop-up home. Now, he’s working on its reinvention: a Mantua food and community center

Innovations like learning pods do not cause inequity. Instead, a Philly dad and schools advocate contends, it’s access to that innovation that is the real problem we need to solve

Two of the country’s most prominent urban thinkers have teamed up to offer Philly a bold plan for inclusive and resilient recovery from Covid-19. Could a $250 million “Philadelphia Regeneration Fund” be in our future?

What last week's meeting between Black and Jewish leaders tells us, now that the local head of the NAACP has been jettisoned for an anti-Semitic posting

Under PA State Treasurer Joe Torsella’s newest plan, Pennsylvania would join 26 other states in offering tuition-free skills training and associates degrees to all residents

South Philly’s SEAMAAC has fed thousands of people since March, while continuing to push the vote and the census—missions more aligned than you might think

The USPS is in the news these days for its (potential) election-related failings. But a novelist and Penn professor remembers it for its beauty

The RESTAURANTS Act—co-sponsored by local Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick—would bail out an industry we all love. If it’s good enough for American Airlines, why are we not backstopping Ellen Yin’s Fork?

Our dysfunctional pro team’s problems have nothing to do with basketball

Patrice Banks has plans for another car repair shop, post-Covid. First, though, she’s launched a program aimed at getting more women of color into the car repair biz.

The City’s 100 contact tracers spend their days delivering scary news and advice. How they do it can mean the difference between life and death.

Catching up with the Philly lawyer who used to chair the Postal Service’s board of governors. How did we get here?

Meegan Denenberg and Tayyib Smith’s new incubator, co-working and networking space aims to boost Black businesses in Philly

The Covid-19 recession has hit theater—and those who work in it—hard. A virtual networking support group is helping them stay connected

The volunteer peanut butter and jelly brigade is helping to feed thousands of people throughout the region during the pandemic

It’s great that Columbus and Rizzo statues are coming down and Lady Antebellum is now Lady A, but how about agitating for substantive systemic reform?

A former costume designer is now working to upend the textiles industry and revive an old Philly tradition by producing local linen

Give and Go Athletics uses sports to give kids in Brewerytown the confidence to be who they want to be

As garbage piles up all over town, the city’s former Waste and Litter Czar shares what he’s learned about how to clean it up. Hint: It requires good leadership.

Basic mental health first aid training is de rigueur in many police forces. Tucson, Arizona, takes its approach further.

A longtime political mad genius has an answer to Trump’s challenge to the legitimacy of November’s election. Oh yeah, and he just got out of prison.

A deep dive into understanding the rise of Covid-19 conspiracy thinking in the Black community. Ever hear of the "King Alfred Plan"?

The Philadelphia Black Giving Circle supports Black-led, Black-serving nonprofits while disrupting the field of philanthropy

Could the key to turning around Philly schools come down to human connection? Robeson High School Principal Richard Gordon IV thinks so—and he has the outcomes to prove it

Other cities are capitalizing on the disruptions caused by the pandemic to rebrand themselves as innovation hubs. Can Philly do the same?

As people with sickle cell disease live longer, they need more and different support. A group of young patients in Philly is here to give it to them.

Can Sunflower Philly, a community space in Kensington run by local artists and funded by local developers, forge a connection between new and longtime residents?

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw on her crime fighting plan, which is full of state-of-the-art reforms. So here’s a novel thought…why not fund it?

An update on professor and activist Stephanie Sena, who is still working to uplift Philadelphians in need of food, shelter and dignity

New Philabundance CEO Loree Jones started her job in the midst of a pandemic and racial protests that roiled the city. She is exactly where she wants to be.

New York and Baltimore are handing out free air conditioners to low-income seniors most at risk of heat-related illness and Covid-19. Why, WURD's midday host wonders, isn’t Philly doing the same?

Who are the city workers helping to keep Philadelphians clean, cool and safe during this hot summer of Covid? Nominate them for Integrity Icon.

Melissa Lamarre and Leon Caldwell call themselves “solutionists.” Their latest endeavor provides learning, volunteering and better health for their community.

Murders raging. Trash piling up. Police both running amok and turning a blind eye to enforcing laws. How’d we get here?

As a Latinx woman in tech, Adriana C. Vázquez has faced uphill odds in transforming the $1.4 billion breast pump market. The Philly startup she co-founded just might do it anyway.

A federal self-employment fund used by five states—but shut down by Pennsylvania—can help would-be entrepreneurs make a go of it. How about it, Congress?

Local bookstore owners shared their favorite Philly reads at the moment—from the silly to the serious.

In Chicago, Lori Lightfoot is out with a visionary post-Covid plan. A group of Philly civic leaders are working on doing the same. Here’s hoping it’s a first step.

Black Philadelphians already suffered from trauma before the pandemic. Do we need a new approach to therapy?