Due to recent development in Lower Merion, the old Pencoyd Iron Works is the new backdrop along the Schuylkill riverfront in Bala Cynwyd. Pencoyd Landing offers views to the water, incorporates the Pencoyd Bridge, and frames Manayunk. Pedestrian friendly public spaces are popping up all over the city!
New legislation in Philadelphia will change the game for short-term rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo in the city. It is intended to treat them as traditional businesses and to help mitigate the difficulty of complex ownership when issues may arise. Councilmember Mark Squilla is using cities like Boston and New York as precedents in hope that these changes would bring about a positive impact.
“The revamped plaza wasn’t an accident or a fluke. It was carefully planned to look this way.” The redesign of Headhouse Square has Philadelphians very upset. Long overdue reconstruction of this space led to an updated parking lot rather than a “people-centered public space” as local residents thought was coming.
In last week’s dispatch, we shared an article with you about the closure of Philadelphia’s only rec center designed for people with disabilities, the Carousel House, in Fairmount Park. In response to the closure, Parks and Rec are reconfiguring how recreational spaces are being used across the city. They see it as an opportunity to transition away from segregating programs for people with disabilities to a single site, which is great news!
The Preservation Alliance is celebrating 25 years this year! Check out the Preservation Alliance’s May To-Do List for all of the must see locations in Philadelphia to celebrate the organization’s, local activists’, and many advocates’ efforts to keep the history of the city safe, including the annual Juneteenth Festival being held at the historic Johnson House site!
