On Wednesday, May 20th, 2026, UCD held our annual State of University City event at CYTO | PHL with hundreds of partners, stakeholders, local leaders, and neighbors. The event was an occasion to celebrate major wins in our neighborhood, to preview what’s next for University City, to welcome our new President & CEO Sarah Steltz, to send off our longtime president Matt Bergheiser, and to officially release our new State of University City 2026 publication.
The State of University City 2026 was an evening of firsts: it was the first time John Grady of Wexford Science & Technology represented UCD at a State of University City event as our board chair since being named to the position in September of last year; it was the first time we publicaly shared the work UCD, our landscaping social venture Green City Works, and neighborhood partners have been doing to restore the Walnut Hill Community Playground; and it was the first time in the 16-year history of our annual event that we had someone new delivering the keynote remarks in our new president & CEO Sarah Steltz. Steltz’s address focused on the continued and exciting momentum within our neighborhood, the importance of our standout eds and meds to the region’s overall economic success, and the necessity of community and partnership to our neighborhood’s continued momentum.
Sarah Steltz and Matt Bergheiser posing together after the event
The event served as the official release of our publication The State of University City 2026. This report provides details on 40 ongoing development projects within our neighborhood, outlines the district’s status as a national leader in innovation, and includes data and details on economic conditions and trends. If you would like additional physical copies of the report, please stop by our office at 3940 Chestnut Street or email us at marketing@universitycity.org.
