Latest News
- Interview: Starr Garden Rec Center & Playground director Chloe Harris on creating LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces and programmingA few years ago, I saw someone post a question on Facebook asking about safe spaces for black trans women to go swimming. And that got me wondering about the city’s parks and rec centers. They’re supposed to be safe and inclusive spaces for everyone, but it doesn’t always feel that way. There’s one rec… Read more: Interview: Starr Garden Rec Center & Playground director Chloe Harris on creating LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces and programming
- July 4 resistancePhiladelphia has been in the spotlight this month as the nation commemorates the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Of independents in the city that would become the nation’s first capital. Extreme heat caused some events to be canceled and others to be delayed. But crowds of people still… Read more: July 4 resistance
- Interview: Development at the Philly Navy Yard with Kate McNamaraMany Philadelphians don’t realize that one of the city’s largest and most dynamic public spaces is tucked along the waterfront at the bottom of South Philly. I was just at the Navy Yard yesterday with my dog and my husband, and I’m always surprised to discover something new to see or do when I’m there.… Read more: Interview: Development at the Philly Navy Yard with Kate McNamara
- Soccer in Southwest PhillyPhiladelphia is welcoming people from across the globe for the World Cup, but many communities across our city have been building a soccer culture long before the global spotlight arrived around the block, reporter Pok stopped by a youth soccer practice session in Finnigan Playground in Southwest Philly to find out more. P.O.C. In Southwest… Read more: Soccer in Southwest Philly
- Resistance to AI Data Centers in Southwest PhillyAfter years of fighting to shut down an oil refinery in Southwest Philly that residents said was a threat to public health, a group of organizers want to make sure the next business to move into the neighborhood doesn’t pose similar problems around the block. Reporter Nikki Schaffer brings us this story. Nikki Schaffer The… Read more: Resistance to AI Data Centers in Southwest Philly
Full Episodes
Block by Block Episodes
- June 10, 2026This episode of Block by Block features stories from our community news reporters about a political activist’s return to the US after being detained by the Israeli military while participating in the largest flotilla attempting to break through Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, what it takes for students to succeed when learning English as a… Read more: June 10, 2026
- May 27, 2026This episode of Block by Block features stories from our community news reporters about a group of Philadelphians working to bring back the spirit of the early web by hand-coding their own websites, the importance of diversity among archivists and research librarians, a new Yemeni-style coffee shop in West Philly, and a Northwest Philly non-profit… Read more: May 27, 2026
- May 13, 2026This episode features stories from our community news reporters about an exhibit featuring the work of Philly photographers and media artists whose work documents decades of community resistance against oppression, a long-time Philly educator who opened a tutoring center after closing a charter school, a local non-profit working to bring a bit of Hollywood to… Read more: May 13, 2026
Around the Block episodes
- July 19, 2026 (Around the Block)This episode features a story about events that took place around the July 4th holiday to call attention to the ugly truths behind the some of the nation’s foundational stories, and a live in-studio interview with Chloe Harris, director of Starr Garden Playground and Rec Center, which is known for its LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC inclusive programming.
- June 21, 2026 (Around the Block)This episode features reports from our community journalists about a program bringing soccer to kids in Southwest Philly, an effort to keep AI data centers out of the region, and an interview with Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation Executive Vice President Kate McNamara about development at the Navy Yard in South Philly.
- May 17, 2026 (Around the Block)Around the Block is a community news program from the Block by Block team at WPPM-LP 106.5 FM. On this program we explore issues in the Philadelphia region with voices from the community – with reports from our team of community journalists and live in-studio interviews. This episode features reports from our community journalists about… Read more: May 17, 2026 (Around the Block)