How It Started
Jordan M. Lewis didn’t plan on becoming a journalist. After graduating from Temple University with a degree in urban studies in 2012, he spent two years working for a neighborhood development corporation in Kensington—writing grant applications, attending zoning meetings, and watching decisions get made that transformed blocks overnight. When a proposed warehouse project threatened to displace several longtime businesses, Jordan started documenting the story himself when no outlet seemed interested. That series of blog posts caught the attention of an editor at Philadelphia City Paper, and he’s been reporting ever since.
What He Covers
Now a Special Correspondent for News of Philadelphia, Jordan focuses on urban development, housing policy, and the neighborhood-level consequences of citywide decisions. He’s spent the past decade building relationships in communities from Fishtown to Southwest Philadelphia, tracking how development reshapes the places where people actually live.
Notable Work & Recognition
His 2021 investigation into deferred maintenance at Philadelphia Housing Authority properties—which involved three months of records requests and interviews with over forty residents—earned a Pennsylvania Press Association Award for public service journalism. Before joining News of Philadelphia in 2020, Jordan spent four years at WHYY as a reporter covering housing and gentrification, and three years freelancing for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Billy Penn.
Community Connection
Jordan grew up in West Philadelphia and still lives within a mile of the house where he was raised, a fact that shapes how he approaches stories about neighborhood change. He completed a fellowship through the Investigative Reporters and Editors organization in 2019, sharpening his skills in data analysis and public records work.
When he’s not reporting, he’s usually walking the city with a camera—a habit that started as stress relief and has become its own archive of Philadelphia’s evolving streetscape.