Jon Geeting
@jongeeting.bsky.social
Fishtown dad, urbanist, writer, connector. Policy and Advocacy director at Build Philly Now. Co-founder @5thsq
Reposted by Jon Geeting
Signs about the history of slavery in the U.S. and the 9 people George Washington enslaved are being removed right now at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, across from Independence Hall, months after the Trump administration threatend to do so.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
January 22, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Signs about the history of slavery in the U.S. and the 9 people George Washington enslaved are being removed right now at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, across from Independence Hall, months after the Trump administration threatend to do so.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
The United States has the fewest elevators in the rich world, with Canada only a bit ahead. We teamed up with @uytaelee.bsky.social of About Here Videos to investigate why, exactly, North America sucks at elevators.
North America's Elevator Problem
YouTube video by About Here
youtu.be
January 11, 2026 at 10:40 PM
The United States has the fewest elevators in the rich world, with Canada only a bit ahead. We teamed up with @uytaelee.bsky.social of About Here Videos to investigate why, exactly, North America sucks at elevators.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
Philly should follow this rule and empower the Planning Commission to grant all needed special exceptions short of complete variances @jongeeting.bsky.social
NJ has a “one board” rule. Projects either go to the zoning board or planning board, not both. Planning boards are empowered to grant minor variances.
December 23, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Philly should follow this rule and empower the Planning Commission to grant all needed special exceptions short of complete variances @jongeeting.bsky.social
Reposted by Jon Geeting
This sheet is the kicker that explains it. The occupant load per staircase is so much higher in the typical DLC building
December 12, 2025 at 11:51 PM
This sheet is the kicker that explains it. The occupant load per staircase is so much higher in the typical DLC building
Reposted by Jon Geeting
This study was funded by the legislature after advocacy by @moreneighbors.org, @net0builder.bsky.social, and my org. It's a bombshell finding, and it shows that small amounts of government funding for code research – this one cost just $225k, same as one mid-rise stairway! – yields big results.
December 12, 2025 at 9:36 PM
This study was funded by the legislature after advocacy by @moreneighbors.org, @net0builder.bsky.social, and my org. It's a bombshell finding, and it shows that small amounts of government funding for code research – this one cost just $225k, same as one mid-rise stairway! – yields big results.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
They also compared the mid-rise single-stair building to a code-compliant low-rise single-stair building. They found slightly more risk, easily mitigated with smoke detectors in the corridor OR improved inspections. This is the finding they highlighted, and the direction they are pushing in.
December 12, 2025 at 9:31 PM
They also compared the mid-rise single-stair building to a code-compliant low-rise single-stair building. They found slightly more risk, easily mitigated with smoke detectors in the corridor OR improved inspections. This is the finding they highlighted, and the direction they are pushing in.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
Consultants contracted by Minnesota found that an eight-story single-stair building with 6,000 sq. ft. per floor (building 4) has dramatically lower fire risk than a same-height code-compliant two-stair building with a larger floor plate (building 1) www.dli.mn.gov/sites/defaul...
December 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Consultants contracted by Minnesota found that an eight-story single-stair building with 6,000 sq. ft. per floor (building 4) has dramatically lower fire risk than a same-height code-compliant two-stair building with a larger floor plate (building 1) www.dli.mn.gov/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Jon Geeting
One big takeaway from Mamdani bringing YIMBYs into his transition is that advocates can often gain a lot of power by
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
December 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM
One big takeaway from Mamdani bringing YIMBYs into his transition is that advocates can often gain a lot of power by
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
Reposted by Jon Geeting
More residents, more workers, more tourists, according to local housing advocate @jongeeting.bsky.social.
Market East Needs More … Everybody
Philly's struggling Market East corridor needs more residents, more workers, and more tourists, according to a local housing advocate
thephiladelphiacitizen.org
December 7, 2025 at 12:02 AM
More residents, more workers, more tourists, according to local housing advocate @jongeeting.bsky.social.
YIMBY transit advocate and elected official running against one of southeast PA’s biggest SEPTA traitors from the budget right this year 👌
More 2026 news: Kofi Osei, a stalwart opponent of water privatization and Democratic Towamencin supervisor, is running against GOP state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick. Her exurban Philly district will likely be a closely watched as Democrats try to flip the upper chamber.
December 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
YIMBY transit advocate and elected official running against one of southeast PA’s biggest SEPTA traitors from the budget right this year 👌
Reposted by Jon Geeting
Pew's main findings:
- Newer multifamily is safer than older multifamily
- Newer multifamily is safer than newer single-family
- Single-stair multifamily buildings are as safe as buildings with two stairwells
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
- Newer multifamily is safer than older multifamily
- Newer multifamily is safer than newer single-family
- Single-stair multifamily buildings are as safe as buildings with two stairwells
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
Episode 103: Fire Safety in Multifamily Housing with Alex Horowitz (Incentives Series pt. 6)
Explore why multifamily homes are often safer from fires than single-family housing, as Alex Horowitz shares research on building age, fire risk, and single-stair safety in our Incentives Series.
www.lewis.ucla.edu
December 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Pew's main findings:
- Newer multifamily is safer than older multifamily
- Newer multifamily is safer than newer single-family
- Single-stair multifamily buildings are as safe as buildings with two stairwells
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
- Newer multifamily is safer than older multifamily
- Newer multifamily is safer than newer single-family
- Single-stair multifamily buildings are as safe as buildings with two stairwells
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
Reposted by Jon Geeting
In this episode of UCLA Housing Voice, we talked with Alex Horowitz about Pew's important research — possibly the first of its kind in the U.S.? — evaluating fire safety outcomes for multifamily housing, measured as the risk of dying in a building fire.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
December 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
In this episode of UCLA Housing Voice, we talked with Alex Horowitz about Pew's important research — possibly the first of its kind in the U.S.? — evaluating fire safety outcomes for multifamily housing, measured as the risk of dying in a building fire.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/12/03/1...
Reposted by Jon Geeting
The supply of commercial activity needed to fill Market East far exceeds the demand that currently exists. Local housing advocate @jongeeting.bsky.social argues for more residents, workers, tourists and everyone in between.
Market East Needs More … Everybody
Philly's struggling Market East corridor needs more residents, more workers, and more tourists, according to a local housing advocate
thephiladelphiacitizen.org
December 3, 2025 at 1:02 AM
The supply of commercial activity needed to fill Market East far exceeds the demand that currently exists. Local housing advocate @jongeeting.bsky.social argues for more residents, workers, tourists and everyone in between.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
This is a great story. I love what these guys are doing. But the takeaway shouldn’t be that we need to enable more people to clean their streets.
Keeping our streets clean is the city’s job and one that Philly has failed at. This is a basic function of a city govt! www.inquirer.com/columnists/k...
Keeping our streets clean is the city’s job and one that Philly has failed at. This is a basic function of a city govt! www.inquirer.com/columnists/k...
These South Philly dads bought personal street sweepers for their block: ‘It’s like a little Zamboni’
The German device isn't marketed for street cleaning, but when brooms weren't enough to keep their kids safe from broken glass and debris on their block, these three men got ingenious with it.
www.inquirer.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This is a great story. I love what these guys are doing. But the takeaway shouldn’t be that we need to enable more people to clean their streets.
Keeping our streets clean is the city’s job and one that Philly has failed at. This is a basic function of a city govt! www.inquirer.com/columnists/k...
Keeping our streets clean is the city’s job and one that Philly has failed at. This is a basic function of a city govt! www.inquirer.com/columnists/k...
Reposted by Jon Geeting
By capturing how taxable property wealth is shielded from redistributive taxation by local boundaries, we also identify specific jurisdictions—what we term “municipal tax havens” & “fiscal deserts”—where per capita property wealth is many times greater or less than their respective metro averages.
November 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
By capturing how taxable property wealth is shielded from redistributive taxation by local boundaries, we also identify specific jurisdictions—what we term “municipal tax havens” & “fiscal deserts”—where per capita property wealth is many times greater or less than their respective metro averages.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
That is why our visualization is different from familiar maps showing neighborhood wealth, though they might initially look similar (particularly in highly-fragmented metro areas). This jurisdictional variation has never before been quantified at scale, or visualized in this way.
November 24, 2025 at 4:36 PM
That is why our visualization is different from familiar maps showing neighborhood wealth, though they might initially look similar (particularly in highly-fragmented metro areas). This jurisdictional variation has never before been quantified at scale, or visualized in this way.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
What is unique about our measure is that we aggregate wealth at the level of the municipality: the funding base for many critical public services. This allows us to capture the important difference between (1) a *wealthy neighborhood* in a larger municipality, and (2) a *wealthy municipality*
November 24, 2025 at 4:36 PM
What is unique about our measure is that we aggregate wealth at the level of the municipality: the funding base for many critical public services. This allows us to capture the important difference between (1) a *wealthy neighborhood* in a larger municipality, and (2) a *wealthy municipality*
Reposted by Jon Geeting
We find significant variation in tax base inequality across metropolitan areas in the US—substantially driven by local government law, as state/regional variation in jurisdictional fragmentation interacts with (by spatially overlapping onto) different levels of economic segregation:
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
We find significant variation in tax base inequality across metropolitan areas in the US—substantially driven by local government law, as state/regional variation in jurisdictional fragmentation interacts with (by spatially overlapping onto) different levels of economic segregation:
Reposted by Jon Geeting
This reminded me of @jongeeting.bsky.social's article (with reference to @zajic.com) about how we should aim to have 2 million Philadelphians.
Jon's timeline for that was 2040, but since this long-term planning targets 2050, we should set the goal to 3 million!
www.phila3-0.org/2_million_ph...
Jon's timeline for that was 2040, but since this long-term planning targets 2050, we should set the goal to 3 million!
www.phila3-0.org/2_million_ph...
The Next Mayor Should Set a Goal for 2 Million Philadelphians
What the 2023 campaign needs is a dose of optimism about positive-sum growth
www.phila3-0.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:47 PM
This reminded me of @jongeeting.bsky.social's article (with reference to @zajic.com) about how we should aim to have 2 million Philadelphians.
Jon's timeline for that was 2040, but since this long-term planning targets 2050, we should set the goal to 3 million!
www.phila3-0.org/2_million_ph...
Jon's timeline for that was 2040, but since this long-term planning targets 2050, we should set the goal to 3 million!
www.phila3-0.org/2_million_ph...
Reposted by Jon Geeting
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 4:31 PM
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
A major problem for PA, and Philly in particular
November 24, 2025 at 7:56 PM
A major problem for PA, and Philly in particular
Reposted by Jon Geeting
A fun thing about single stair is that when you ask people defending the status quo on safety grounds to make a judgment call about whether the small buildings that would be allowed under the proposed reforms are more dangerous than the big ones we currently allow they get mad and refuse to answer.
A 100 unit per floor building at..let's say 800SF per unit = 80,000 NSF per floor
A 8 unit per floor at 800SF = 6,400 NSF per floor
Those are two fundamentally different building types, so I'm not sure they're apples to apples in any meaningful way
A 8 unit per floor at 800SF = 6,400 NSF per floor
Those are two fundamentally different building types, so I'm not sure they're apples to apples in any meaningful way
November 19, 2025 at 3:46 AM
A fun thing about single stair is that when you ask people defending the status quo on safety grounds to make a judgment call about whether the small buildings that would be allowed under the proposed reforms are more dangerous than the big ones we currently allow they get mad and refuse to answer.
Reposted by Jon Geeting
In an effort to remain one of the worst Councilmembers, Cindy Bass is filing an appeal to prevent the replacement of this non-historic 1940s airlite into 13 new homes, which is even by-right legal under zoning. This is why we have a housing crisis Mayor Parker!
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
November 21, 2025 at 3:21 PM
In an effort to remain one of the worst Councilmembers, Cindy Bass is filing an appeal to prevent the replacement of this non-historic 1940s airlite into 13 new homes, which is even by-right legal under zoning. This is why we have a housing crisis Mayor Parker!
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...