A Letter from UCD's President

This marks a very special edition of State of University City, as its release coincides with the celebration of University City District’s 25th anniversary.

The sweep of transformation during this past quarter century in University City is nothing short of remarkable, but the dynamism of the past three years deserves particular attention. As the world slowed down for a little while, as people questioned whether our city or any city would ever be whole again, as Philadelphia faced and continues to face the headwinds of an uncertain economy and a string of crises and challenges, University City kept building and creating and solving problems that changed the world.

The grand ambition to create entirely new mixed-use communities on surface parking lots went from rendering to reality before our eyes over the past three years, as development at uCity Square and Schuylkill Yards accelerated. Likewise, continued industry leadership in life sciences research and commercialization at Penn Medicine, Pennovation, and CHOP firmly established Philadelphia and University City as sought-after locations for talent and business activity from around the world. When global pharmaceutical powerhouse Roche –headquartered in Basel, Switzerland – looked to create a worldwide center for excellence in cell and gene therapy, they chose University City, where subsidiary company Spark Therapeutics has advanced from a CHOP spinout to a pioneer in treating genetic diseases.

As always in University City, the innovation economy drives development; last year, $366 million in real estate projects were completed in the neighborhood. In so many ways, though, we are just getting started. Another 1.5 million square feet are under construction, with 32 million square feet of development in the pipeline. And with $1.8 billion in research & development investments last year across University City institutions and businesses, new discoveries, new ventures, and new development possibilities are being seeded every day.

The future is ours for the taking in University City. We need to continue to be bold, optimistic and relentless, not just about the opportunities in front of us, but also about the challenges we face. How can we grow while simultaneously shaping a broadly inclusive prosperity in Philadelphia?

How can we stem the COVID-induced decline in utilization of one of Philadelphia’s great assets – public transit – so that we’re ready to embrace thousands of new University City workers in the years ahead?

University City and its institutions, innovators, and community members are ready for the challenge, and are poised to emerge from a time of uncertainty stronger and more vibrant than ever.

Sincerely,

Matt Bergheiser President, University City District