July 6: Philly becomes largest US city to legalize AirBnB | Illegal demolition | Legacy of Rails to Trails

Everybody seemed fixated on the hotel tax aspect of this story, but the bigger issue is that Philly is now the largest US city to legalize AirBnB, and without much of a fight. They’re facing intense resistance in a lot of other places, most notably New York City.

L&I allowed a contractor to demolish a building without permits

OCF has a status update on the Bridgeview homes project on Columbus Blvd, and a lament that it doesn’t engage Columbus Blvd or the riverfront. 

DRPA has some extra money to burn, and are considering bringing back the discount for frequent bridge commuters–essentially the opposite of a congestion charge.

What this moment in Philly looks like from the other side of the state.

Anna Orso lists the things we still don’t know about the particulars of the Pope’s visit.

Larry Schweiger was named the new President of PennFuture

Seattle streets engineer Dongho Chang is setting the bar high for speed and ease of rolling out livable streets changes. Recommended reading for the Kenney transition team.

Assessing the legacy of the Rails to Trails movement from 1965 to the present. 

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