Visions of Vibrancy: Center City Philadelphia

Tale of the Tape:

Philadelphia City Population 2013: 1,553,165 (City); 6,034,678 (Metro 2013) - (incorporated in 1701)

Jacksonville City Population 2013: 842,583 (City); 1,394,624 (Metro 2013) - (incorporated in 1832)

City population 1950: Jacksonville (204,517); Philadelphia (2,071,605)


City Land Area

Philadelphia: 134.1 square miles
Jacksonville: 757.7 square miles


Metropolitan Area Growth rate (2010-2013)

Philadelphia: +1.16%
Jacksonville: +3.64%


Urban Area Population (2010 census)

Philadelphia: 5,441,567  (ranked 5 nationwide)
Jacksonville: 1,065,219 (ranked 40 nationwide)


Urban Area Population Density (2010 census)

Philadelphia: 2,746.4 people per square mile
Jacksonville: 2,008.5 people per square mile
 

City Population Growth from 2010 to 2013

Philadelphia: +27,159
Jacksonville: +20,799
 

Convention Center Exhibition Space:

Philadelphia: Philadelphia Convention Center (1993) - 679,000  square feet
Jacksonville: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center (1985) - 78,500 square feet


Connected to or across the street from Convention Center:

Philadelphia: Philadelphia Marriott Downtown - 1,408 rooms, Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia City Center - 279 rooms
Jacksonville: N/A


Tallest Building:

Philadelphia: Comcast Center - 974 feet
Jacksonville: Bank of America Tower - 617 feet


Fortune 500 companies 2013 (City limits only):

Philadelphia: Comcast (44), Aramark Holdings Corp. (209), Crown Holdings Inc. (313)
Jacksonville: CSX (231), Fidelity National Financial (353), Fidelity National Information Services (434)


Urban infill obstacles:

Philadelphia: I-95 cuts off Center City from the Delaware River.
Jacksonville: State & Union Streets cut off downtown Jacksonville from Springfield.

 
Downtown Nightlife:

Philadelphia: Rittenhouse Square District, Washington Square District, Old City District
Jacksonville: East Bay Street


Common Downtown Albatross:

Abundance of homeless.


Who's Downtown is more walkable?

Philadelphia: 98 out of 100, according to walkscore.com
Jacksonville: 73 out of 100, according to walkscore.com

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At 548' tall, the Philadelphia City Hall is the world's second-tallest masonry building. Complted in 1901, it was the tallest habitable building in the world from 1901 to 1908 and the tallest in Pennsylvania until 1932 when surpassed by the Gulf Tower. It remained the tallest building in Philadelphia until the construction of One Liberty Place (1984–1987) broke the informal "gentlemen's agreement" that limited the height of tall buildings in the city.


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Washington Square was known as Southeast Square, when originally designated in 1682. During the 18th century, it was used to graze animals and as an African-American burial ground.


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In 1991, within the boundaries of the Center City District (CCD), there was just one major condominium building. But the passage of the 10-year tax abatement in 1997 tapped into a growing demand for downtown living. According to tabulations by Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, between 2001 and 2011, 28 commercial office buildings with a total of 2.76 million square feet were converted to residential use. Within what used to be almost entirely an office district, there are now 49 condominium buildings containing 3,871 units and another 165 apartment buildings with 15,630 units.

Source: https://www.centercityphila.org/docs/CCR12_housing.pdf


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One of Center City Philadelphia's largest tourist attractions, South Street is known for its "bohemian" and "punk" atmosphere and its diverse and urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries. Named Cedar Street in William Penn's original plan of Philadelphia, it was the traditional southern boundary of the city before the annexation of townships to the south.


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Of the total of 80,257 occupied housing units in Greater Center City, the 5-year Estimates from the ACS for the period 2006-2010 indicate that 42.6% are owner-occupied, and 57.4% are renter-occupied. Substantial variation in housing tenure across all downtown residential communities exists, however, with the highest rates of homeownership found in the condominiums on the Delaware Waterfront and in Society Hill. The highest percentages of renters are found in Callowhill/Poplar, Washington Square West, and Logan Square.

Source: https://www.centercityphila.org/docs/CCR12_housing.pdf


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The Italian Market on South 9th Street, between Christian Street and Washington Avenue is the social and commercial heart of Philadelphia's Italian community. The market's origins date back to the late 1800s, when immigrants settled in the area outside of the original city of Philadelphia.


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