Inga Saffron

William Way will demolish its historic LGBT Community Center and construct a building with affordable apartments Plans have become clear after months of confusion over the building's future.

The block where the William Way center is located is a mostly intact stretch of Civil War-era buildings. Now that the Washington Square West Historic District has been overturned, there will be no design oversight for what gets built in its place. 
www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Graphic that says Life After Cars Book event with Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon. May 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Resurrection Philadelphia 17th & Samson Streets. Hosted by Philly Bike Action, 5th Square Advocacy and Gold Tier Sponsor Stuart Leon Bicycle Crash Law. Includes pictures of Doug Gordon, Sarah Goodyear, Inga Saffron, and Jamie R. Gauthier.

Philadelphia! Pre-sale tickets are now on sale for our LIFE AFTER CARS live show on May 14, featuring moderator @ingasaffron.bsky.social & guest @councilmemberjg.bsky.social. Become a Patreon member or support @bikeaction.org & @5thsqadvocacy.org for presale access. www.patreon.com/posts/152168...

Historic preservation isn’t the villain in the debate over housing affordability By practicing ‘gentle density,’ these architects create more housing for less money, using fewer natural resources.

Historic preservation is not the villain! My column (which I wrote before yesterday’s devastating news that a judge had overturned the WSW historic District) shows how we can preserve our heritage and still make sure everyone has housing. www.inquirer.com/columnists/h...

What a tragedy to lose the @curbed digital archives. We saved hundreds of years of newspaper archives. We need to value and preserve our digital production, too, especially in a time of AI and so much disinformation. www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...

Shakes fist at sky (aka Vox Media): "thousands of now-historic regional urbanism stories are not readable, linkable, and searchable."

(They haven't given me my clips yet either)

www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...

This. 👇

The common denominator in all these privatization moves, including FDR Park is Kathryn Ott Lovell. I understand our Mayors and Council have continuously underfunded Parks & Rec, but these measly revenues ($200K/yr for Water Works!!) are not worth the loss in access and just lower support for funding

1/ This museum and its leadership are a laughingstock.

2/ This "old movie prop" is not art, but the embarrassing director and curatorial leadership of the PMA, which did not object, don't seem to know that. Big, big problem.

That’s really a bad likeness!

Also is Stallone really who we should be valorizing at this moment? It all feels rather pathetic, like we can't imagine Philadelphia beyond a pop culture reference from the 70s.

Imagine if Boston moved the Cheers bar to the middle of the Public Garden! We'd rightly call them pathetic.

Thanks! It’s pure pandering…

Yo, Philly! There’s no need to move the Rocky statue Relocating the statue to the top of the museum steps is part of the creeping privatization of the Art Museum grounds.

Selling Rocky merch from a shipping container. The takeover of the Fairmont Water Works. And now the elevation of the Rocky statue to a prime perch overlooking the Parkway. Today’s column looks at Philly’s zeal to monetize the art museum’s landscaped grounds. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Altercation on bus with conservative influencer and former WHYY intern goes viral The two participants, including a former WHYY intern, in the chaotic scene knew each other during their time at Community College of Philadelphia. Elon Musk chimed in on X.

The best thing about this viral spat between a conservative influencer and a WHYY intern is that it happened on a SEPTA bus. In what other city could that happen! whyy.org/articles/sep...

Not a word!

These renders are hardly the most deceptive! I expect all kinds of weather.

City Council bill would ban housing from former Hahnemann University Hospital area Councilmember Jeffrey Young said the goal is commercial preservation and creating jobs in that part of his district.

How insane does a bill have to be for Philly’s City Council not to vote on lockstep? Where does Jay Young think those commercial office tenants are coming from? www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Grids are out, brick is back, and Philadelphia architects have rediscovered the arch The urge for the curve extends to interior design, furniture and restaurants.

Consider the arch. And how it’s reappearing in new buildings all over Philly and beyond. My latest architecture column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Woke is over

That’s interesting. I had assumed it was more citywide.

When did Society Hill become a city state unto itself? | Inga Saffron First, the neighborhood banned flex posts in the bike lanes. Now it wants its own zoning rules.

2) in 2019 he blocked an apartment building in Society Hill. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Good government fix or a demolition derby? Historic preservation bill is provoking debate in Philly. Supporters say the bill gives more notice and power to property owners. Opponents say it will damage the city's heritage.

1) A bit of backstory on @jakeblumgart story aboutCoucilman Squilla’s latest developer pandering to make historic teardowns easier. This is the same pol who stopped Alterra from building apartments to protect the Society Hill Acme site. So what changed? www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Landlord Phil Pulley transferred ownership of West Philly apartments days before suspected arson, records show Property records show the notorious landlord signed a deed transfer two days before the June 2025 fire. The new owners are now demolishing the building.

A W. Philly apartment building was destroyed in a suspected arson right after its tenants were evicted and the building sold to shell company. What is this, the ‘70s? Great reporting by Ryan Briggs and William Bender. www.inquirer.com/news/phil-pu...

Comcast promises to ‘turbocharge’ East Market revitalization efforts championed by Mayor Parker The mayor unveiled a list of 60 people who will sit on her Market East advisory committee.

This feels like the Sixers arena debacle all over again. Via @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

Exactly!

With proposed demolitions, a reinvention plan for Market Street is off to a rocky start The new playbook is starting to look a lot like the old playbook.

Fixing Market East should not be this hard, Philadelphia. Some thoughts on the latest mess. Gift link! share.inquirer.com/GQi8Wo

Fantastic reuse of a substation and arts anchor, but I have never seen a city oppose the drive to turn a corridor into an creative arts district as much as Philly has with N American St

Me too! I hate the climbing gym, too.

Forman Arts Initiative promises to turn North American Street into a grittier version of the Parkway At a time when legacy institutions are struggling, newer, more nimble arts groups are expanding.

Legacy arts institutions are struggling, and yet new ones are still being born in Philly. Today’s column looks at the ambitious Forman Arts Initiative, which will showcase for work by women, Black and brown artists in a fantastic clutch of industrial spaces. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...