Working every day to enhance the vitality of Center City.

Center City District has helped transform downtown Philadelphia with a simple but ambitious mission to make the downtown clean, safe and attractive for people to work, live and enjoy.

Enjoy sunshine and socially distanced seating at CCD managed parks- Dilworth Park, Sister Cities Park and Cret Park. Fountains have returned on low water settings. Check back for more updates soon.

The Center City District Foundation is pleased to announce the successful launch of a new initiative, Plant Center City, which has the goal of planting 200 new trees in the central business district during the next two years.

Philadelphia continues its slow, steady though uneven recovery. By April, payroll employment citywide rose to 95.6% of February 2020 levels, compared to 99.2% in the nation. The lagging pace reflects the slow rebound in leisure and hospitality employment and the ripple effects of remote work on those jobs that rely on the presence of other workers. Still, the unemployment rate continues to decline and the volume of office workers in Center City continues to rise.

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.

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.

This is a transformational moment for Philadelphia, when investments in economic development funded by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) can be combined with the long-recommended changes to Philadelphia's tax structure to prompt faster and more equitable citywide job growth.

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.

This CCD, CPDC report examines business density and the disparities between the number of Black-owned and white-owned businesses in Philadelphia and compares them to four other East Coast cities.

This CCD, CPDC report suggests that Philadelphia should increase its commitment to quality of life investments and resume its prior commitments to tax reduction, in order to retain and attract residents and businesses and spur widespread and inclusive private-sector job growth.

Consider a move to Center City Philadelphia, a vibrant 24-hour city, with great housing options in charming downtown neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and atmosphere. Local neighborhoods offer easy access to jobs, cultural venues, great shopping and day-to-day amenities by foot, bike, public transit or car.

After decades of job loss, Philadelphia has enjoyed nine straight years of job growth that accelerated in 2014. Despite the recent upturn however, the city has rebounded more slowly than most peer cities.

CCD and CPDC have been working since 1999 to improve the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In 2004, CPDC released an improvement plan that has guided all CCD investments since then including: new directional and interpretive signage, pedestrian and architectural lighting, the renovation of Aviator Park, the redesign of Three Parkway Plaza and the redesign of Sister Cities Park.The goal of all these projects has been to transform the Parkway into an animated, pedestrian-friendly cultural campus.

CCD, Project Home and Philadelphia Police have partnered to create combined outreach teams that help people living on the streets connect with services and shelter.