Planning & Economic Development

You always know when Ryan Spak is in the office for the day. Although he only works at UCD part-time, he makes his hours count. He’s always hustling in through the back door, barking into his cell phone, zipping from meeting to meeting, and wasting no time getting down to business so he can solve one problem and move onto the next. He’s UCD’s Mr. Fix-It, our professor of permits, the deed detective. You need a drywall guy? An electrician? Need to know how to navigate L&I? Call Ryan Spak. But chances are he’s on the other line. 

This weekend we encourage members of the community to stay local to shop for holiday items. On Saturday you can ride the BLAST (Baltimore-Lancaster Avenue Shoppers’ Trolley), which will shuttle shoppers along Baltimore and Lancaster Avenues. This event features great gifts and discounts from local businesses.

A local subway stop is set for an upgrade. On Monday, November 2nd, SEPTA held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 40th Street Station stop on the Market-Frankford line, which will receive a significant upgrade featuring new headhouses, improved lighting, and two elevators. 

Butterflies and hummingbirds aren’t something most people expect to see in Philadelphia at the spot where four trolley lines intersect before submerging into the gaping mouth of a dark, cavernous tunnel. But those are the types of wildlife that University City District hopes to draw to the 40th Street Trolley Portal as part of its planned renovations.

2013 was another strong year for retail and restaurants in University City. Exciting new arrivals like Hip City Veg, Shake Shack, Rx The Farmacy, and The Fat Ham were among the 25 restaurants, cafes and bars opening in 2013. This continues a recent trend in the neighborhood as the number of places to eat and drink has been up by an incredible 17% over the last five years! New retail also had a good year, including exciting openings like Greene Street consignment and Plaza Artist Materials, with the number of new businesses up by 3% over the last five years.

The five-way intersection of 48th St., Baltimore Ave. and Florence Ave. has long been a confusing and potentially dangerous crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists. Walkers confronted a massive expanse of asphalt and fast moving vehicles along with a confusing pattern of crosswalks that did not permit a direct crossing along the busy Baltimore Ave. commercial corridor, forcing many to play a game of “frogger” with speeding cars and trucks.

University City District (UCD) has partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and the Philadelphia Streets Department to transform a lifeless traffic island and a redundant stretch of street into a verdant oasis with trees, planters, bistro tables, and umbrellas. On Wednesday, September 19 at 1-2:30pm, all are invited to join Mayor Michael Nutter, UCD and other stakeholders in celebration of this exciting new pedestrian plaza adjacent to University of the Sciences’ campus.

The Woodland Avenue Pedestrian Plaza is the first completed project of the City of Philadelphia’s Pedestrian Plaza Program, which seeks to reclaim these unused swathes of asphalt and concrete by quickly and inexpensively turning them into new public plazas and parks. “Pedestrian Plazas are yet another example of how the City and community partners can drive innovation and make Philadelphia more vibrant through the creation of small public spaces. With Ped Plazas and Parklets popping up across the city it is clear that there is demand for high quality, low cost, pedestrian amenities," added Mayor Michael Nutter.

University City District, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, the Philadelphia Department of Streets, and the offices of Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, is pleased to announce the installation of University City’s second “Parklet” – an innovative, temporary seating platform that provides residents and visitors with a space to take in the area’s lively streetscape.