In the past 15 years, University City has grown tremendously as one of the city’s leading economic sectors and hubs for youth.

In 2011, more than three dozen new businesses opened their doors in University City, which spans 2.4 square miles. In the past three years, more than 5.1 million sqft of completed and soon-to-be completed construction projects have taken place, 27 new acres of green space have been developed, and $3B in total real estate value has been created.

New developments

That information and more is available in the State of UCD 2012/2013 released this month by the University City District (UCD). Since its 1997 inception, the UCD, has worked to plant seeds that are now blossoming into a vibrant district, perhaps the city’s most. In the past 15 years, median home prices have more than tripled, since 2000 the number of residents…

A few years ago, the folks at University City District (UCD) decided that sustainability deserved explicit recognition as a theme in their group’s work. This happened around the same time Mayor Nutter announced his Greenworks initiative that set fifteen sustainability targets for the City of Philadelphia.

“So we looked at that document,” said Seth Budick, manager of policy and research at UCD, “and looked at the targets where we felt that UCD could have the most effective role at helping the city to reach its goals.”

Those goals revolved around reducing energy use and encouraging the use of energy from renewable sources, managing stormwater, increasing tree cover, reducing vehicle miles traveled, increasing the number of green jobs, and bringing local food to the neighborhood.

Clark Park helps with stormwater management

“Sustainability is in the DNA of the neighborhood,” said Budick. “Both…