The mission of Old City District is to improve the historic district nearest to Independence Mall in the City of Philadelphia as a place for people to meet, work, shop, and live by supplementing municipal services with maintenance, public safety, economic development, and promotional programs. To gauge the organization’s progress, it retained ESI and JVM Studio to produce a comprehensive report on the existing state, as well as the future of the Old City neighborhood.
ESI and JVM Studio produced a comprehensive study of the current state and the future development of Old City that would inform businesses, visitors, civic leaders, and policymakers about the happenings in the neighborhood, highlight the community’s unique assets, document its challenges, and serve as a baseline to measure the progress of this section of Philadelphia.
The report highlighted the growth of the district and the continued vibrancy by analyzing different impact economic sectors such as:
- Residential developments
- Jobs and innovation
- Retail and dining
- Arts, culture, and civic life
- Tourism and local attractions
- Transportation
The report demonstrated that Old City District has seen significant development since the start of the century. While the district has always been a hub for tourism, bringing in 4.3 million annual visitors to Independence National Historic Park, Old City has become a place for locals and tourists to live, work, and play. Old City’s development will continue, adapting more historic properties to modern uses and encouraging further neighborhood development.
