Philadelphia Industrial Land Use and Market Strategy
Philadelphia, PA
At the height of America’s industrial period, the city of Philadelphia was known as the “Workshop of the World.” As the planet’s most intensive and diverse industrial center – making everything from radios, beer, chocolate, and cowboy hats to gasoline, saws, ships and locomotives – the city exploded with new immigration and development. But by the close of World War II, as the suburbs expanded and industrial production had shifted from multi-story factory lofts to single-story, sprawling complexes, Philadelphia faced the dual challenges of population and job losses. In the wake of these losses, the collection of vacant industrial structures began to shape the perception that Philadelphia was no longer a viable location for industry.
Today, production, distribution, and repair continue to be critical components of Philadelphia’s economic base – accounting for over 100,000 jobs citywide and more than $322 million annually in direct taxes to the city’s coffers. Amid renewed interest in sustainable domestic production, Philadelphia again finds itself competitive in the new economy. While today’s industries no longer require coal from the hinterlands or large, unskilled workforces, Philadelphia’s location at the center of the northeast megalopolis, its dozens of institutions of higher learning, multi-modal infrastructure, and great quality of life have become critical assets.
But to ensure the long-term viability of urban industry in Philadelphia, land policies will need to change to protect and expand viable industrial districts while also transitioning formerly industrial land to other uses where appropriate. The efforts to update both the city’s zoning code and comprehensive plan have created an opportunity to provide policy direction for industrial land use in Philadelphia. To this end, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, and PIDC jointly sponsored this unique study with the goals of expanding and retaining the right industries in the city, protecting employment opportunities, and rationalizing the city’s supply of industrially-zoned land.
Interface Studio completed a field survey of 90% of Philly’s industrial land – amounting to over 16,000 parcels. This field survey was completed using a mobile GIS and resulted in over 550 high quality maps and graphics to help communicate the findings to PIDC and their partners. Based on this database and extensive coordination with City leadership, Interface Studio developed city-wide and place-specific recommendations that reflect Philadelphia’s industrial market potential.
Client:: Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
Project Team:: AECOM Economics, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), CHPlanning
