Research & Reports

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 summer, CCD staff surveyed the number of restaurants currently providing outdoor seating, including new streeteries, within the district boundaries. Outdoor dining has been an indicator of Center City’s vibrancy since sidewalk cafés were first authorized. As the current number of restaurants providing take out or serving outdoors continues to expand, Center City is slowly and cautiously beginning to recover.

An online survey of CPDC members and CCD Board was conducted in the last two weeks to determine the expected timing of a return of workers to the office and to assess factors that respondents believe should be addressed to facilitate the return to work.

CCD distributed via email a survey to determine respondents’ purchasing patterns during the shutdown and the factors that will make them most likely to return to restaurants and shops as the reopening gains momentum.

The Center City District (CCD) surveyed restaurants and retailers in Center City to understand their need for expanded use of outdoor space to facilitate business reopening.

Conditions prior to the current crisis. Philadelphia will rebound; underlying fundamentals remain strong. When recovery comes, we have strengths to build on, challenges to address.

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.

This annual report looks at Center City retail market trends. Center City’s transformation into a 24-hour downtown is reflected in its burgeoning retail scene, with residential, convention and tourism growth expanding beyond the historic customer base of office, education and health care employees and students.

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.