Dena Driscoll, and the ongoing saga of Washington Avenue. Plus: Your zoning questions!

Welcome to Philly Built, hosted by Vern Anastasio, zoning and land use attorney, and the author of phillyzoning.com, Philly’s premiere zoning information website. On Philly Built, we’ll be talking with the folks on the front line of Philadelphia’s great re-build: Planners, developers, elected officials, and the community leaders at the center of it all.

On the show today: Livable cities advocate Dena Driscoll, and a conversation about the ongoing saga of Washington Avenue’s road diet. Plus: Vern fields questions from readers of PhillyZoning.com!

About Dena Driscoll:

Over the past ten years, Dena has worked to strengthen access to public goods. She believes in well-funded public: education, housing, spaces, parks, services, and history. She has previously worked at such nonprofits as Neighborhood Bike Works, Smith Memorial Playground, School District of Philadelphia, and Bartram's Garden which have given her a unique perspective of how public goods are essential to a thriving city. Currently, she is the Director of Development and Communications for the Public Interest Law Center. She holds an M.A. in Museum Education from the University of the Arts and a B.A. in History from La Salle University. 

Dena may not be a native Philadelphian but her two children are. Along with her husband, Patrick, they live in South Philadelphia’s Passyunk Square neighborhood. Dena’s children love growing up in a city going to museums and where sidewalks are filled with soft pretzels, scootering friends, and dogs on walks. 

When not working or hanging with her family she further champions her city as an advocate for safer more livable streets by founding and organizing "Kid"ical Mass PHL, as a former Fiscal Officer and founding member of Open Streets PHL, and Chair of 5th Square PAC.