University City: A History of Transformation and Growth

University City, the easternmost part of West Philadelphia, is a vibrant neighborhood marked by a rich history of transformation and growth. Encompassing several Philadelphia universities, medical institutions, and research centers, it has evolved from a largely rural area to a bustling urban hub. This article delves into the history of University City, exploring its early beginnings, its transformation through urban renewal projects, and its present-day status as a center of education, research, and innovation.

Early History and Development

The area that is now University City was originally part of Blockley Township, named in 1677 after William Warner's native parish in England, when he purchased 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) from the local Indian tribe. Blockley Township, however, gained a less-than-desirable reputation in the 19th century, becoming known as a haven for "shadowy characters and evil-doers." Despite this reputation, the Blockley Almshouse, which later became Philadelphia General Hospital, was located there.

In 1735, Andrew Hamilton, a prominent "Philadelphia Lawyer," acquired 300 acres (1.2 km2) in Blockley Township. This area became known as Hamilton Village, and The Woodlands, a sprawling botanical garden and mansion, was built there. A small section on the northern side of this area was once known as Greenville. Situated near Lancaster Ave., Powelton Ave., and Market St., Greenville served as a waypoint for travelers and cattle drivers, and many taverns and inns were established. Later, the area expanded in all directions with many German immigrants and offered much more than simple taverns.

The arrival of electrified streetcars in the 1890s spurred development west of 43rd Street. Bridges and a tunnel in the first decade of the 20th century facilitated commutes to Center City, leading to rapid development within University City and beyond.

The Naming of University City

In the mid-1950s, two realtors and Penn graduates coined the name "University City" to attract Penn faculty back to the neighborhoods near Penn. The initial boundaries extended from the Schuylkill River to 52nd Street, and from Haverford Avenue to the Media-line railroad tracks south of Kingsessing Avenue. However, the boundaries, as defined by the non-profit University City District organization and the City of Philadelphia, are the Schuylkill River to the east; Spring Garden Street, Powelton Avenue, and Market Street to the north; 52nd Street to the west; and Woodland Avenue, University Avenue, and Civic Center Boulevard to the south. Within these boundaries are the local neighborhoods of Cedar Park, Garden Court, Spruce Hill, Squirrel Hill, Powelton Village, Walnut Hill, and Woodland Terrace.

Read also: The History of Stockton University

Urban Renewal and Redevelopment

The mid-20th century brought significant changes to University City through urban renewal projects. As part of the Housing Act of 1949, Congress established the "Slum Clearance and Community Development and Redevelopment" program, commissioning federal funds to "assist local communities in eliminating their slums and blighted areas and in providing the maximum opportunity for the redevelopment of project areas by private enterprise." In 1945, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia (RDA) was formed with the power to acquire and redevelop land through condemnation proceedings.

The Black Bottom and Unit 3

One of the most significant urban renewal projects in University City was the redevelopment of Unit 3, the largest of the identified areas, spanning roughly from 34th to 40th streets and North of Chestnut to Lancaster and Powelton streets. This area covered most of what was colloquially referred to as the Black Bottom, a neighborhood signifying the area's racial and economic status.

By 1965, the WPC had developed a plan to demolish homes in Unit 3 and redevelop the land into a center of private scientific research, an expanded hospital, and a large new high school. Within four years, the University City Science Center had been established and most of the buildings on Market St. between 34th St. and 40th St.

University of Pennsylvania Expansion

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) played a significant role in the redevelopment of University City. Over the course of 1968 to 1970 and with the assistance of the local redevelopment authorities, Penn acquired, cleared and redeveloped the four-block area between 38th, 40th, Spruce, and Walnut streets. The primary features of this area, which became known as "Superblock", are three high-rise apartment-style dormitories. The key purpose of creating these high-rises was to accommodate 3,500 more students at the university. WPC also guided several other redevelopments that directly benefited Penn and Drexel. Project "A" was the plan to redevelop Units 1a, 1b and 2, the land between 32nd, 34th, Walnut and Chestnut. This resulted in Penn's Women's Dorm (now Hill House) and several Drexel buildings along Chestnut. Additional areas were carved out for Penn's Wharton and Annenberg schools and Physics department.

Redevelopment Along the Schuylkill River

Along the west bank of the Schuylkill River lie several large parcels of land that have historically seen large-scale non-residential use. As of the 1960s, the most prominent uses of this area were for Philadelphia's main train station, post office, and civic center. Of particular interest for redevelopment have been the large rail yards near 30th St. Station, now owned by Amtrak. Several plans were made to cover and build over this area.

Beginning in 1991, Penn publicly expressed official interest in acquiring the 19.2 acres (78,000 m2) to the southeast of its campus occupied by the Philadelphia Civic Center complex. After the opening of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in 1992, the Civic Center was mostly unused. In 1998, a City Council resolution was put forth to turn over much of this property to Penn and CHOP. The initial plans were not fully developed, but did not call for the demolition of Convention Hall, the location of several historic events. By 2005, plans had been expanded and the whole site, including Convention Hall, was slated for demolition to make way for a new clinical care facility attached to the hospital.

In 2007, Penn bought 24 acres (97,000 m2) between its campus and the Schuylkill river, an area formerly occupied by the United States Postal Service known as the Postal Lands. Penn repurposed the Postal Lands into a new high-rise office and residential complex, Cira Centre South, and a public park with University athletic facilities, Penn Park. Penn Park opened in September 2011 as a new urban park that stretches from Walnut Street to South Street featuring a fabric of tightly interwoven recreational and athletic components.

University City Today

Today, University City is a thriving neighborhood with a diverse population. According to a report, the area has 45,787 people living in 16,625 households, 29% of which are classified as "family" households and the rest as "non-family". The average household size was two people, whose median age was 23.8 years. Median household income was $23,749; median "family" household income was $40,042. 8.1% of households had incomes of $100,000 or more and 35.2% had incomes of less than $15,000. The report said local businesses employed 63,878, with educational services employing 53.1% of them and health care services 21%. The median price of homes purchased in 2006 was $312,000, up 22% from 2005.

Transportation

With its compact development and high proportion of students, many people can and do walk and bicycle around, to, and from University City. The most prominent highway through the region is the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76). I-676 from New Jersey and Center City Philadelphia terminates in University City at I-76. US-30 follows I-76 and I-676. US-13 and PA-3 follow local streets. Of historical note are the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike and Baltimore Pike, now known as Lancaster Ave and Baltimore Ave.

There are several bus lines that serve University City. SEPTA City Transit Division surface routes 21, 30, 40, 42, 78 are active here, as is LUCY, the "Loop through University CitY". Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor intercity routes, as well as all of the SEPTA Regional Rail routes and NJT's Atlantic City Line, include a stop at 30th Street Station. There are also several other SEPTA stations in University City, including two more Regional Rail stations: Penn Medicine Station and 49th Street; three more MFL stations: 34th Street, 40th Street and 46th Street; three more underground trolley stations: 33rd Street, 36th Street, 37th Street; and two trolley portals: 36th Street Portal and 40th Street Portal.

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Town and Gown Relations

University City has a history of strained town and gown relations, particularly with the University of Pennsylvania ("Penn" for short), the city's largest private employer and the second-largest private employer in Pennsylvania. Efforts have been made to improve these relations, such as the opening of Penn Alexander, a neighborhood public elementary school which Penn helped to build and subsidizes, and the Penn Mortgage program, a grant made by Penn to any of its staff towards the purchase of a home in West Philadelphia or to be used for the improvement of any staff that currently owns a home in West Philadelphia.

University City Science Center

The University City Science Center, the nationâs first and oldest urban research park, represents a pivotal chapter in the story of American urban renewal, its associated racial tensions, and the important role played by institutions of higher education. The University City Science Center was constructed on Unit 3, a parcel of land between the Powelton Village and Mantua neighborhoods of West Philadelphia and the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. This area became known as University City after its construction.

The Science Center was to rise one block deep along both sides of Market Street between Thirty-Fourth and Thirty-Eighth Streets and below Market between Thirty-Ninth and Fortieth Streets. Market Street in the University City neighborhood was a mixed residential and commercial district known as the Black Bottom before the University City Science Center was constructed.

In the fall of 1963, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas approved articles of incorporation for the University City Science Center and the University City Science Center Institute. The Science Center was the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authorityâs designated real estate developer for the entire complex. In this role, the Science Center assumed the obligation under the urban renewal plan for Unit 3 to put up buildings âwithin a reasonable time as determined by the Redevelopment Authorityâ on properties it acquired from the authority.

As demolitions began to displace working-poor blacks in the Market Street corridor, a neighborhood known locally as the Black Bottom, racial politics flared. Of the 2,653 people displaced in Unit 3, roughly 78 percent were black. The Science Center and the projected Science Center-affiliated University City High School caused just over half of the total Unit 3 displacements.

In 1983, the Science Center was designated an Advanced Technology Center for Southeastern Pennsylvania (ATC/SEP)âone of four regional ATCs established under the auspices of the Commonwealthâs Ben Franklin Partnership (later renamed the Ben Franklin Technology Partners), created by Gov. Richard Thornburgh (b. 1932) in 1982. Consistent with the partnershipâs guidelines, the ATC/SEP developed an incubator program with business-development support services.

In the mid-1990s, on the wings of the Clinton-era economy, the Science Center experienced a financial resurgence and physical growth spurt that continued, with the exception of the 2008 recession, for the next twenty years. In these decades, the center also benefited from a national zeitgeist that favored the revitalization of core areas of once historically vital cities in the Northeast Corridor. Today, the Science Center has become a thriving engine of economic development for high-wage and middle-wage workers on the corporationâs Market Street campus.

University City High School

The Cold War trend of federal support for science education formed the national backdrop of the building of University City High School (UCHS). In 1963 the West Philadelphia Corporation (WPC) proposed a new high school modeled on the Bronx High School of Science and the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. The University of Pennsylvaniaâs president, Gaylord Harnwell, regarded the proposed âPublic High School of Science and Technologyâ as a logical extension of the University City Science Center, as it would presumably afford unprecedented opportunities to link secondary education directly to the work of practicing scientists.

UCHS evolved as a comprehensive (general) high school, with no specialized science & technology curriculum, no affiliation with the Science Center, and very few white students.

The bell tolled for UCHS in December 2012, when the School Reform Commission announced that the high school would close following the spring semester of 2013.

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