report
Downtowns Rebound: The Data Driven Path to Recovery
Can downtowns in the United States rebound and prosper? This fundamental question lingers more than three years after the global pandemic, after public mandates to work from home and following civil unrest and crime increases that occurred in many U.S. cities in 2020. This report seeks to counter misinformation and provide some of the data that can assist when making decisions and choosing actions that best support a robust and inclusive process of recovery.
For an in depth analysis and comparative charts and data on the recovery of 25 U.S. cities, download- Downtowns Rebound: The Data Driven Path to Recovery. For more information on the methodology and analysis of this report or to request report data, please fill out the Downtowns Rebound 2023 - Data Request Form.
In The News
- May 16, 2024 | Creating a Vibrant Downtown: Recovering, Rethinking & Reshaping our city centers, Paul R Levy Presentation for Committee of 100, Washington DC [PDF]
- February 28, 2024 | Forget the 'doom loop.' Boston's downtown is bouncing back., The Boston Globe [PDF]
- January 2024 | Paul R Levy’s January 2024 presentation of Downtown Recovery Report to ULI’s Trustees with data updated through December 2023, [PDF]
- January 4, 2024 | America’s Downtown Recovery: What Does The Data Say?, Urban Land
- November 29, 2023 | Despite strong economy, Texas cities grapple with excess office space, The Texas Tribune
- November 20, 2023 | A New Study Looks at Post-Pandemic Downtown Growth. Here’s How Dallas Fared., D Magazine
- November 17, 2023 | Downtowns Are Full of Empty Buildings. Universities Are Moving In., The New York Times
- November 16, 2023 | US cities are coming back from COVID pandemic, according to Center City District study, KYW Newsradio
- November 14, 2023 | Center City continues its comeback from pandemic with new residents, visitors making up for lost office workers, KYW Newsradio
- October 17, 2023 | Philly’s private-sector job growth has long lagged other cities. Can the next mayor make a difference?, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- October 17, 2023 | Surprise: The move to remote work isn’t great for Center City’s post-pandemic recovery, Technical.ly
- October 16, 2023 | Downtown Residents Are Back. Workers, Not So Much., Governing
- October 14, 2023 | A vibrant Center City benefits all Philadelphians | Editorial, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- October 11, 2023 | Philadelphia compares well to other downtowns on return to office and tourism, but not close to 2019 numbers, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- October 11, 2023 | Philadelphia ranks No. 5 in the nation for downtown foot traffic recovery since 2019, WHYY
- October 11, 2023 | Center City has recovered faster from the pandemic than other major cities' downtown areas, report finds, Philly Voice
- October 10, 2023 | Philadelphia ranks among top cities for major drivers of downtown pandemic recovery, Center City District finds, Philadelphia Business Journal
- October 10, 2023 | Philadelphia among top 5 cities in the nation for post-pandemic rebound, new report shows, 6abc
- October 31, 2023 | What’s Driving US Downtown Revivals, Bloomberg