PlanPhilly Information

PlanPhilly is an independent, non-partisan, news organization covering design, planning and development in Philadelphia. Created in 2006 as a project of PennPraxis, it was incubated and supported by PennDesign and PennPraxis until March 2015, when it became a project of WHYY/Newsworks, Philadelphia's NPR affiliate. For the past nine years, PlanPhilly has worked to hold the city accountable through beat reporting about planning, design, preservation and development news, investigative journalism and data analysis on issues such as tax delinquency and vacant land, as well as through the discerning voice of its Eyes on the Street blog. Our journalism is also about process, making sure Philadelphians are well-informed about the forces and decisions that reshape our city. It's informational and explanatory, and aims to promote a better-designed city with more transparent planning and development. With a mandate to create transparency around city government, we cover all commission hearings that concerned planning. We show up with video cameras, ask questions, report out stories and serve the public good by peeling back layers of back-room dealings and obfuscation. Through our work, commissions have become more open and transparent and, we believe, more professional in decision-making. Since 2007, we have published over 10,000 articles and produced over 3,000 videos. We have created an editorial and commentary component in a separate section called “Eyes on the Street.” We make every effort to engage with our community both on social media and in real life.