Research & Reports

Does Philadelphia have what it takes to recover? This Center City District/Central Philadelphia Development Corporation report examines Philadelphia’s signs of recovery, and remaining challenges, after two years of profound disruption.

Nearly two years after Philadelphia offices were ordered to close as the first COVID-19 cases were detected, and more than a year after vaccinations got underway, Center City and University City companies are continuing to adapt and remain flexible, while strongly valuing the importance of in-office work and a downtown presence, according to a CCD survey. CCD distributed a survey to employers to gauge their current stance on in-office and remote work, their plans for the first quarter of 2022, and factors they were weighing in making workplace decisions.

Center City Philadelphia Developments 2021 is an in-depth report on current and upcoming major projects in Center City. The report includes a map and full-color photos or renderings and project descriptions of all 63 major developments in Center City Philadelphia, categorized by type. An interactive map features all of the developments found within the publication.

Center City’s commercial core is experiencing a sustained process of recovery, with new businesses opening and existing retailers moving to new, often larger locations. In the first quarter of 2022, taxable retail sales reached 94% of 2019 levels and restaurant sales reached 74% of 2019 levels.

For the last two decades, Greater Center City has been the fastest growing residential section of both Philadelphia and the entire region. After a temporary dip in population, the number of downtown residents on sidewalks in Center City had rebounded to 2019 levels by the end of 2021. Rents and home sale prices held up and the number of newly-permitted residential units in both Center City and citywide reached the highest point in decades in 2021.

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