Daniel Pearson
@dpearsonphl.bsky.social
I’m an editorial writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer focused on urban policy-transit, housing, and planning
This week's column is about balancing the legacy of the past with the needs of the present.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
The weight of history falls on Philly neighbors and museum’s CEO | Shackamaxon
Historic district neighbors find it hard to change, while Philadelphia Museum of Art CEO Sasha Suda is out after she changed too much.
www.inquirer.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This week's column is about balancing the legacy of the past with the needs of the present.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
Great density, horrible double-loaded corridor floorplan. Imagine how much better this could be as an ensemble of single-stair buildings with more height allowed away from the street
November 6, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Great density, horrible double-loaded corridor floorplan. Imagine how much better this could be as an ensemble of single-stair buildings with more height allowed away from the street
City Council should approve the new bus terminal, and bring an end to the long saga for riders.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
For Philly’s Greyhound bus terminal, the best way forward is by going in reverse | Editorial
It's been a long wait, but intercity bus riders may soon have a safe, accessible — and very familiar — terminal housed in the former space Greyhound occupied at 10th and Filbert Streets.
www.inquirer.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:16 PM
City Council should approve the new bus terminal, and bring an end to the long saga for riders.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
This is great for Chicago, but as someone from a state that has not only failed to fund transit but also postponed any discussion of it until 2027, it hurts.
So not only does the massive transit package passed last night fill the funding gap, it *boosts* ops funding by roughly the size of the gap, eliminates parking minimums within a half mile of rail stations, and gives the new regional transit board sweeping powers to do public development
Crain’s is good about revenue sources and splits
www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/tra...
I believe the parts not discussed above (parking reform, land development authority, etc.) are largely retained from May
www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/tra...
I believe the parts not discussed above (parking reform, land development authority, etc.) are largely retained from May
October 31, 2025 at 1:46 PM
This is great for Chicago, but as someone from a state that has not only failed to fund transit but also postponed any discussion of it until 2027, it hurts.
Given the capital raid was devised by the State Senate Republicans, Sean Duffy should have sent them this letter.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/sean...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/sean...
Sean Duffy has the right message about SEPTA’s woes, but addresses it to the wrong people | Shackamaxon
It's not SEPTA leadership or Gov. Shapiro who needs to hear from the transportation secretary, but those who've stood in the way of sustainable transit funding. Are you listening, Joe Pittman?
www.inquirer.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Given the capital raid was devised by the State Senate Republicans, Sean Duffy should have sent them this letter.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/sean...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/sean...
Philadelphia won't lose much when the Sixers and Comcast demo some vacant storefronts along Market Street. But action must be taken to ensure that we don't end up with another Disney hole. The real answer isn't planning, but getting our local economy humming again.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
East Market Street needs smart new development, not another ‘Disney Hole’ | Editorial
There is opportunity for growth as the Sixers and Comcast move to demolish two blocks of mostly vacant storefronts across from the Fashion District.
www.inquirer.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Philadelphia won't lose much when the Sixers and Comcast demo some vacant storefronts along Market Street. But action must be taken to ensure that we don't end up with another Disney hole. The real answer isn't planning, but getting our local economy humming again.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
The muncipal political parties might be the secret of Montréal's success. Candidates are campaigning on issues they actually control, like bike and bus lanes, rather than ones they don't, like Healthcare policy.
What Philadelphia can take from Montreal — including a mention of local political parties.
“In Montreal, however, voters have a real choice. They even have municipal political parties, meaning voters have to form their own opinions about local issues.”
“In Montreal, however, voters have a real choice. They even have municipal political parties, meaning voters have to form their own opinions about local issues.”
October 17, 2025 at 11:33 PM
The muncipal political parties might be the secret of Montréal's success. Candidates are campaigning on issues they actually control, like bike and bus lanes, rather than ones they don't, like Healthcare policy.
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
What Philadelphia can take from Montreal — including a mention of local political parties.
“In Montreal, however, voters have a real choice. They even have municipal political parties, meaning voters have to form their own opinions about local issues.”
“In Montreal, however, voters have a real choice. They even have municipal political parties, meaning voters have to form their own opinions about local issues.”
October 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM
What Philadelphia can take from Montreal — including a mention of local political parties.
“In Montreal, however, voters have a real choice. They even have municipal political parties, meaning voters have to form their own opinions about local issues.”
“In Montreal, however, voters have a real choice. They even have municipal political parties, meaning voters have to form their own opinions about local issues.”
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
More people should understand that this is standard practice in American urban planning. The zoning on paper is not a real plan for growth, it's the opening bid in a highly politicized negotiation between home builders, elected officials, and activists with the power to kill projects.
The “clean” way to do this is to intentionally downzone the by-right option and make the actually economic option only available via special permit. That’s the skeleton key to all manner of shenanigans.
October 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM
More people should understand that this is standard practice in American urban planning. The zoning on paper is not a real plan for growth, it's the opening bid in a highly politicized negotiation between home builders, elected officials, and activists with the power to kill projects.
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
Okay now that I've celebrated Mamdani's win, and now that it looks unlikely he'll face any real trouble in the general, I'm going to re-up my concerns about his free bus proposal and cross my fingers that he gets some good advice as mayor. publiccomment.blog/p/no-such-th...
No Such Thing as a Free Bus
How I'm thinking about Zohran Mamdani's fare-free bus proposal
publiccomment.blog
June 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Okay now that I've celebrated Mamdani's win, and now that it looks unlikely he'll face any real trouble in the general, I'm going to re-up my concerns about his free bus proposal and cross my fingers that he gets some good advice as mayor. publiccomment.blog/p/no-such-th...
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
Great post from @dpearsonphl.bsky.social
June 20, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Great post from @dpearsonphl.bsky.social
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
I think the closest thing to this is the Philadelphia @inquirer.com
like there isn't a flagship newsroom with an editorial board that has a will to fight
June 4, 2025 at 1:17 AM
I think the closest thing to this is the Philadelphia @inquirer.com
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
Hilariously on-the-nose paragraph about a Cambridge NIMBY: white professor of African art history uses ChatGPT to analyze the city’s demographics if you exclude…uh…any young adult affiliated with a university (but of course not the professors like her) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
May 28, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Hilariously on-the-nose paragraph about a Cambridge NIMBY: white professor of African art history uses ChatGPT to analyze the city’s demographics if you exclude…uh…any young adult affiliated with a university (but of course not the professors like her) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
BREAKING: Trump administration's effort to stop NYC's congestion pricing is blocked, as Judge Lewis Liman, a Trump appointee, issues a 109-page opinion granting a preliminary injunction to the challengers defending the congestion pricing program.
Opinion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Opinion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
May 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
BREAKING: Trump administration's effort to stop NYC's congestion pricing is blocked, as Judge Lewis Liman, a Trump appointee, issues a 109-page opinion granting a preliminary injunction to the challengers defending the congestion pricing program.
Opinion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Opinion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
People love to claim that Americans just don't want to ride trains but even the inadequate service offered by Amtrak is super popular.
If you are hoping to take a vacation on Amtrak this summer, you may be out of luck because strong demand has led to a lack of tickets and very high prices. I guess that is good news for trains in general, if they are *too popular*!?! www.trains.com/trn/news-rev...
Strong Amtrak summer demand triggers sellouts, high prices, despite some capacity gains: Analysis - Trains
CHICAGO — Sellouts in coach and high prices in sleeping cars, if space is available at all, are the rule rather than exception in a News Wire survey of Amtrak long-distance trains as summer arrives. T...
www.trains.com
May 27, 2025 at 1:51 PM
People love to claim that Americans just don't want to ride trains but even the inadequate service offered by Amtrak is super popular.
City Council and local Democrats are leaving Philadelphians vulnerable to protect a political ally. Even worse, their support for Bilal undermines their criticism of the President at a time when we cannot afford hypocrisy.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
Philadelphia’s elected officials must hold the sheriff’s office to account for its incompetence | Editorial
Much-needed reform is impossible if Democratic power brokers and City Hall officials don't stop enabling a sheriff's office that struggles to perform its most basic duties.
www.inquirer.com
May 27, 2025 at 1:47 PM
City Council and local Democrats are leaving Philadelphians vulnerable to protect a political ally. Even worse, their support for Bilal undermines their criticism of the President at a time when we cannot afford hypocrisy.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
There were no drones, and (I think) the government was nervous about telling the public that given the number of politicians who lost their minds to drone delusion. reason.com/2025/05/09/w...
Newly released documents show what the feds knew about the New Jersey drone scare
Even after the Biden administration realized the most alarming claims were bunk, it didn't publicize the evidence it had.
reason.com
May 18, 2025 at 1:07 AM
There were no drones, and (I think) the government was nervous about telling the public that given the number of politicians who lost their minds to drone delusion. reason.com/2025/05/09/w...
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
Ken Burns is doing a Nimby college town circuit!
May 1, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Ken Burns is doing a Nimby college town circuit!
Reposted by Daniel Pearson
If you did not get to purchase a fresh soft pretzel right in your classroom for recess in grade school, I’m sorry.
Philly consumes like 6x the national average in pretzels, and it's such a commonplace thing we take for granted that we hardly ever talk about it.
Having said that, I have noticed soft pretzel slippage over the past couple decades. And ee need to remain vigilant and step our shit up.
Having said that, I have noticed soft pretzel slippage over the past couple decades. And ee need to remain vigilant and step our shit up.
April 30, 2025 at 10:52 PM
If you did not get to purchase a fresh soft pretzel right in your classroom for recess in grade school, I’m sorry.