Center City Digest is the quarterly newsletter of the Center City District and Central Philadelphia Development Corporation. Below is an excerpt from CCD President & CEO Prema Katari Gupta’s introductory letter.
Recentering Center City
Philadelphia is on a roll. From Delaware Avenue to the Bellwether District, cranes are rising in parts of the city that, just a decade ago, seemed improbable. Last year, the city recorded the fewest homicides since 1966 and supports more jobs than it has since 1980. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times both named Philadelphia the top must-visit destination in 2026. The mood is confident, which is both earned and deserved. But confidence brings with it a temptation to take Center City, the heart of the region, for granted.
As investment spreads across the city and neighborhoods are enthusiastically championed, Center City has quietly slipped from Philadelphia’s civic conversations. It is assumed to be fine, self-sustaining, already resolved. This year’s State of Center City report makes a case against those assumptions; consider it a call for “recentering Center City.”
For the full essay, read or download the summer 2026 Center City Digest newsletter below. This issue also includes staff stories, CCD news, new reports and research, and more.
