University City District changes places and changes lives.
Building on our foundational efforts to foster a clean, safe, and attractive neighborhood, UCD works with our institutional and community partners to create a vibrant neighborhood for residents, employees, visitors, and businesses. UCD plans and executes signature events and networking gatherings; we create an ever-expanding opportunity infrastructure that connects talented Philadelphians to meaningful careers at partner institutions; we offer logistical assistance to small businesses, homeowners, and local non-profits; we build and maintain welcoming public spaces; and we work with partners to address public safety issues and to bring a compassionate, people-first approach to our work with the unhoused. Below are some of the highlights from our work over the past year.
Fostering a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Neighborhood
An emphasis for our foundational Clean and Safe teams in the past year was to expand our reach within the community while remaining committed to our essential efforts to serve the neighborhood, including appearing at safety fairs, organizing community clean-ups, and providing safety services at neighborhood events. Our Safety Ambassadors provided nearly 85,000 hours of coverage, including 37,469 checks on businesses, more than 1,400 walking escorts, and over 1,100 vehicle jumpstarts and lock-out services. Our Public Space Maintenance team devoted over 37,000 hours to cleaning the neighborhood through machine street sweeping, dustpan and broom cleaning, collecting bags of trash, graffiti removal, leaf collection, and more. Our Green Team, established as our in-house crew devoted to curating public spaces throughout University City including pedestrian plazas, planters, and our signature public spaces, completed their first full year of impact. If you’d like to see the work of our Green Team continue and expand in 2024, consider donating to our Green Giving Challenge.
85,000 hours of safety coverage
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37,469 business checks
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1,400 walking escorts
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1,100 jumpstarts & lock-outs
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85,000 hours of safety coverage 〰️ 37,469 business checks 〰️ 1,400 walking escorts 〰️ 1,100 jumpstarts & lock-outs 〰️
Responding to Places and People in Crisis by Serving the Unhoused
Last spring, we delivered on our pledge to address the tragedy of homelessness in our district through a compassionate, measured, and people-first approach to supplying aid to the unhoused. We hired our first-ever Outreach Services Manager, who helped develop a new approach to homeless services that is already yielding positive results. Over the past year, our HOST (Homeless Outreach Service Team) made 4,500+ well-being checks with homeless individuals and 62 successful outreach placements to shelters or services with Project Home. While many challenges remain, we are committed to our efforts, and we’ve begun holding conversations with other organizations who seek to learn from our approach.
“UCD provides so many resources and connections to the community. I’ve been able to connect with at least four or five other businesses/opportunities as a result of participating in the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll. It was a blessing for the growth and brand recognition during my first two years in business. I am looking forward to what the future has in store and thankful for organizations like UCD!”
Bringing our Local Economic Opportunity Engine to the Region
2023 was another groundbreaking year for our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI). In August, WPSI was named as the healthcare and life sciences backbone organization as part of the US Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge, and in partnership with The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Life Sciences PA, the Wistar Institute, and Montgomery Community College, will officially launch the KeystoneLifeSci Collaborative in early 2024. The funding was awarded to fuel locally driven, diverse partnerships to create and develop workforce training programs that support local economies. In March, we cut the ribbon on the new WPSI headquarters at 22 S. 40th Street and moved our operations into the new 5,600 square-foot space featuring office, classroom, and conference spaces and upgraded technology to facilitate cutting-edge, hybrid trainings. Our staff grew with three new team members to keep up with our expanding services, and WPSI Executive Director Cait Garozzo was recognized as a Philadelphia Business Journal 2023 40 Under Forty honoree for her excellent leadership of the program. Since WPSI’s formation in 2011, our career-driven program has served over 1,600 local residents, connecting talented individuals to high-quality opportunities with the city’s premier employers for total combined earnings of over $100 million.
WPSI in the news:
“Thank you for this opportunity, WPSI! From the initial interview to completion at the Wistar Institute, you guys have provided an ample amount of useful resources! I was so grateful for the opportunity to be able to participate in the Biomedical Technician Training (BTT) program. I started with zero experience besides a science course in high school. Everything was taught to me without having to return to school! Now being employed with one of the best in the nation hospitals, CHOP, I will forever be grateful!”
Accelerating the Post-Pandemic Recovery for Small Businesses
UCD offers year-round support for the local small business community that contributes to making our neighborhood so unique. We plan events with small businesses in mind, ranging from large-scale events like the Dollar Stroll and Dining Days that bring customers and media attention to smaller activations and pop-ups where business partners can showcase their wares and connect with more potential customers. We hold small business networking events so local business owners can connect with each other and other partners to share resources and experiences. And through our Small Business Support services, we offer professional guidance and connections to City resources for those looking to open, expand, or enhance their businesses. In 2023, a seven-year journey by a West Philadelphia resident to open a bagel shop finally reached the finish line, as Cleo’s Bagels officially opened on the 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue. The passion project of Alex Malamy, Cleo's began as an operation out of Alex's kitchen that grew to be called Dodo Bagels. Six years ago, Alex met with Ryan Spak from our team, who helped with the development of a business plan, negotiating a lease on the long-vacant storefront at 5013 Baltimore Avenue, securing funding from the Commerce Department, and lending expertise when construction issues arose. The years of patience and hard work paid off, and Cleo's is now thriving in their new location. Click here to read more about Cleo’s, and visit them to try their delicious bagels, breakfast sandwiches, bialies, and more.
“I first met Ryan Spak in 2018 around the time I was establishing my business. In our first meeting, Ryan provided me with resources and guidance and made it known his door was open. Since that time, as I’ve grown my business and my needs have evolved, Ryan has continued to act as a conduit, making connections and helping to illuminate pathways toward my success. He has advocated for me on a professional level and he’s rooted for me as an enthusiastic neighbor and customer. Overall, my business is stronger because of the work of UCD’s Small Business Services and Ryan’s engagement”
Rendering from the Clark Park Master Plan
Fostering Beautiful Spaces Across the Neighborhood
Our public space enhancements and interventions, ranging from signature spaces like The Porch at 30th Street Station and Trolley Portal Gardens to small pedestrian plazas and seating options, have set the standard in the neighborhood. In 2023, much of our new public space work was focused on lending our expertise to businesses and organizations seeking to duplicate our efforts. We served as key advisors on major projects including master plans for the Friends of Clark Park and the Powelton Village Community Association, helping volunteer groups connect with City agencies, develop plans, and set themselves up for success. We also offered guidance to local businesses and community members to take advantage of underused spaces, including guiding restaurants through the official process to earn approvals for Sidewalk Cafes and Streeteries, creating a new seating plaza at 50th and Baltimore in an underused swatch of concrete, and working with community groups to create safer streets for pedestrians.
The map of proposed improvements to Clark Park.
“UCD has proven an invaluable resource for the PVCA’s recently completed community master planning process. As a member of the planning advisory committee, Nate Hommel worked with the PVCA to identify qualified consultants, offered visionary ideas for improvements to the public realm, and ensured that the PVCA’s objectives considered broader City efforts planned or underway. As we shift towards plan implementation we look forward to collaborating with UCD to solve many of the community’s most pressing challenges.”
Crowds enjoying the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll
Gretchen Elise performing at Trolley Portal Gardens
Enjoy three course meals at Dining Days every July!
University City Mix Happy Hour attendees
Bringing People Together Through Signature Events
In 2023, our marketing and events teams presented a robust calendar of events throughout the year to bring together small businesses, neighbors, and visitors. We brought live music, arts, crafts, and holiday events to Trolley Portal Gardens, entertained thousands with our curated film series Movies in Clark Park, presented two editions of our wildly popular Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, drawing scores of visitors to a crucial commercial corridor, and drew diners into restaurants during our summer University City Dining Days promotion. We revived our University City MIX networking series for two evenings this fall and look forward to partnering with local restaurants for regular editions throughout the next year. We’re constantly exploring new and exciting ways to present lively events that showcase our neighborhood’s charms, small businesses, and artistic groups, and look forward to expanding our offerings even further in 2024. And when our own events are not taking place, we used our curated community calendar and marketing muscle to promote the wonderful events happening throughout the year and across the neighborhood.
“I curated my first-ever music series at UCD’s Trolley Portal in 2023. This enabled me to add “curator” to my list of skills as a musician and sole proprietor. I loved being able to share UCD’s support with both newcomers and - most centrally - artists who have been a steady backbone of this neighborhood for decades. ”
Creating Life-Changing Job Opportunities Through Community-Shaping Place Stewardship
UCD’s landscaping social enterprise Green City Works (GCW) sharpened and expanded their offerings in 2023, scaling up to meet the demands of clients. In addition to maintaining our portfolio of 3 million + square feet of green spaces throughout the city, our 18-member team also worked on or completed several notable projects, earning valuable experience in hardscaping, permeable paving, and carpentry along the way. This year our four-year engagement with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to improve the quality of local parks ended its pilot phase. The project, kindled by GCW crew members who wanted to do more within the community, was funded by the William Penn Foundation and allowed us to complete community beautification projects with neighborhood partners and to track the positive impact our landscaping had on usage, violent crime, and neighborhood stewardship at pilot parks. We are hopeful to keep this relationship going into the future. GCW also added to their capabilities by hiring Hanchao Zhang as our Landscape Designer/Sales Representative. Hanchao brings landscaping and urban design expertise to design dynamic projects for clients. Our commitment to offering above-market wages, full benefits, and employing our crew year-round continues, and we look forward to exciting new projects for 2024.
“UCD were there for us from beginning to end, in the process of getting our Sidewalk Cafe license. They referred us to the right person in the office of Councilmember Gauthier, in the 3rd District, and to an architect who helped us through the process. Without the help of UCD, it would have been much harder to accomplish this task. I highly recommend having UCD staff support on your side.”
A Day in the Life of UCD
Below, see a short film highlighting what a day in the life of a UCD employee looks like:
“UCD helped Cedar Park activate a long-dormant plaza along a vibrant stretch of Baltimore Avenue with bright cafe tables and chairs. This urban intervention not only provides a public space to gather, eat, and rest, but it supports our local businesses. I’m excited for another opportunity to work with Nate and UCD. ”
UCD Impact Map
See our impact throughout the neighborhood!
