UCD Preparing Welcome Mat for Upcoming Tourist Influxes

Daily News reporter Ronnie Polaneczky wrote of the decision to hold the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia: “Stuff tends to get fixed at my house when we know company’s coming… Well, Philly, company is coming.”

Amid the dialogue about what Philadelphia needs to do to prepare itself for an estimated 50,000 DNC guests in July 2016, as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors from outside the region expected to welcome Pope Francis to the Parkway this fall, we at UCD have been doing some thinking about University City’s part in rolling out a suitable welcome mat.

First, it’s clear that first impressions matter. Many of our visitors will make their way here by rail. Before they ever glimpse the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall, they will exit 30th Street Station and surmise what kind of city we’ve become.

For our part, we’ll spend the spring undertaking a “remix” of The Porch with an opportune new splash of colors and amenities. We’ll find new ways to bring whimsy and wonder to The Porch, but we promise not to undo the authenticity and unpretentiousness that have made this space a welcome respite for thousands in the past three years.

We want the masses who speed over the Schuylkill in taxis (or, hopefully, on bike share!) to slow down a bit and admire the grandeur of the Market Street bridge, so we endeavor to extend the vocabulary of The Porch across the bridge. Think more color and more vibrancy to draw westbound pedestrians toward The Porch and the train station, and eastbound traffic toward the bustle of Center City.

While we grapple with first impressions, let’s not forget about lasting ones. I once heard famed architect Laurie Olin say that Paris is a special place for all because it was built for Parisians, not for tourists. As we prepare for throngs of visitors, we also must prepare for five thousand new residents and ten thousand new workers, all the happy result of the $4 1/2 billion building boom in eastern University City.

The lives of future visitors as well as future employees, residents, and students will intersect in University City’s developing public realm. As downtown Philadelphia stretches westward and surface parking lots transform into a new skyline, getting the spaces between the buildings right will be the critical difference between a lively, people-first district and a 1980’s get in-get out downtown. The visionary partnership among Amtrak, Drexel, Brandywine, SEPTA and others to transform community, connectivity and identity around 30th Street Station is focused on this goal. At the same time, UCD has partnered with Gehl Architects to re-imagine barren streetscapes as verdant, social spaces and to undertake a dozen or so moderate scale interventions that reinforce the power and appeal of place for employees and residents of a burgeoning innovation district. And, ultimately, we aspire to double down on long-term investments in The Porch, as the new neighborhood emerging around us warrants Philadelphia’s sixth civic square.

So while we’ll make an important down payment on vitality today to impress our guests, it’s critical that we invest smartly in the long-term splendor of a place whose current growth promises to shape Philadelphia’s economy for decades to come. Political commentator and Philadelphia native Chris Matthews said of our DNC bid vis-à-vis the competition that we “will bring a spirit to the convention…that you don’t get in Columbus or Brooklyn.” While that spirit will be felt city - and region-wide, University City will play a special role in welcoming those who are here to visit, and an extraordinary part in shaping the 21st century metropolis for those who are here to stay.

Sincerely,

Matt Bergheiser 

Executive Director 

University City District