April 29: Privatizing Franklin Square | Spruce Street Harbor Park returns | The case for a new flag

Should Philly consider replacing the city flag? Writing about a new flag proposal in Milwaukee, Linda Poon says flag redesign movements are sprouting up all over the U.S. to replace flags that break every design rule. Flag preferences are subjective of course, but Ted Kaye, author of the influential “Good Flag, Bad Flag” pamphlet published by the North American Vexillological Association, argues you can tell a flag is good if it passes the tattoo test. Michael Burlando made the case for changing Philadelphia’s flag, which he calls “lazy,” in a 2013 Hidden City post, and submitted his own design in the Reflag design competition held by BresslerGroup that year. The effort seems to have lost steam now, but did produce a winning flag design.

First Victor Fiorillo, and now Inga Saffron argue that it’s morally wrong to charge people to enter Franklin Square, a public space, after hours for the Chinese lantern festival. Additionally, the chain-link fence and black curtain that Historic Philadelphia installed around the park to manage entry “wouldn’t be tolerated for 5 minutes at Rittenhouse Square,” Saffron writes. 

Melissa Romero looks at some new research from JLL showing Market East’s office rental rates are now the highest in the city.

Spruce Street Harbor Park on the Delaware is opening early this year on May 6th, reports Peter Crimmins.

The United Nations Habitat III conference will hold a regional convening in Philadelphia on May 17th, to raise awareness about efforts to improve the nation’s urban areas, and prepare the U.S. delegation to the international conference in Quito this fall. U.N. Habitat conferences occur every 20 years.

A new data visualization from the Washington Post compares the winning and losing zipcodes in America’s heavily stratified housing market between 2004 and the present. 

Live near Washington Avenue on the west side? South of South Neighbors Association is circulating a survey asking neighbors about their vision for the Avenue.