Center City Philadelphia

The Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC) conducts research and urban planning and advocates for policies that enhance Center City Philadelphia as a competitive location for business and entrepreneurship.

CPDC's members are leaders in architecture, banking, communications, law, construction, engineering and real estate development, among other fields.

Current Initiatives

Our current work includes:

• Retaining and attracting office-based businesses downtown through marketing and direct outreach to office tenants, in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Commerce and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation.
• Transforming the Benjamin Franklin Parkway into an animated, pedestrian-friendly cultural campus. CPDC planned and implemented physical improvements on the Parkway including installation of hundreds of new pedestrian and roadway lights, dramatic illumination of Parkway buildings and artworks, reconstruction of Logan Square pedestrian crossings and the renovation of Aviator Park. Now we are working on improvements to the parkland in front of Three Parkway, including a café. Learn More »
• Informing parents of young children about their educational options in Center City, using advertising and an informational Web site. To learn more, visit www.centercityschools.com.

Our History

CPDC was founded in 1956 as the Old Philadelphia Development Corporation, a private nonprofit corporation focused on the earliest revitalization of the historic Society Hill neighborhood. In 1982, OPDC changed its name to Central Philadelphia Development Corporation.

Over the decades, CPDC has been a key force in the growth of Center City, playing a lead role in projects including:

• The redevelopment of Market Street East.
• The planning and construction of the Vine Street Expressway.
• Planning and advocacy for the Avenue of the Arts cultural district.