Planning & Economic Development

Recently, UCD and the City of Philadelphia’s License and Inspections department entered into a partnership that resulted in saving 938 S. 49th Street from demolition.

Drexel University and American Campus Communities will transform Chestnut Street between 32nd and 33rd Streets into a new gateway for Drexel and University City featuring 361,200 square-feet of mixed-use student housing and retail space. The groundbreaking event for the estimated $97.6 million project is scheduled for February 21, with a targeted construction completion date of September 2013.

Restaurateur, Author, and Motivational Speaker Dave Magrogan is proud to announce the signing of a lease with the University of Pennsylvania to open a Doc Magrogan's Oyster House at 3420 Sansom Street in University City.

Have you wondered how the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) and East Coast Greenway (ECG) will continue past the South Street Bridge? How will the SRT/ECG run through the new Penn Park? How will the unconnected Gray's Ferry Crescent hook up to the rest of the Schuylkill River Trail? How will University City, Clark Park and Spruce Hill link to the SRT and ECG? How will the West Bank Greenway in Powelton /Mantua continue into West Philadelphia and ultimately link to the SRT?

Making University City more walkable and pedestrian friendly is one of UCD's primary objectives.  Recent projects like the parklets on Baltimore and Lancaster Avenues, and the creation of The Porch at 30th St. Station, have advanced this goal by putting people friendly amenities, like tables and chairs, in locations that used to be dedicated to automobiles.

The City Planning Commission recently completed Phase 1 of its Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, and is now working on Phase 2, which is the portion of the plan that covers West Philadelphia. The Commission is taking community feedback as it drafts this plan, and this means that you have a huge opportunity to give your input, as the city thinks about things like where to put bike lanes and bike paths, what intersections are particularly problematic, and other issues of special concern for pedestrians and bicyclists.