FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
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What is Live Work Philadelphia?
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Live Work Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to serve as an independent domestic resident attraction marketing program for Philadelphia.
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What is the mission of Live Work Philadelphia?
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The mission of Live Work Philadelphia is to grow and diversify the middle-income population in the City of Philadelphia.
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What is the objective of the program?
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To increase the level of "socioeconomic" diversity in the city, integrate more ethnic diversity into existing communities for holistic economic growth, and promote greater stability, vibrancy, and resiliency throughout the city.
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What is "socioeconomic" diversity?
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Generally, it refers to the diversity in people's education background and financial status.
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Why does Philadelphia need to increase "socioeconomic" diversity?
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Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate among major U.S. cities, and is ranked 27th for annual household income among the top 30 U.S. populated cities. These and other notable factors fuel a demographic imbalance that hinders the quality of life for residents.
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Why does the city need greater diversity? Isn't the city very diverse?
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According to a 2016 Pew Report focused on immigration, from 1970 to 1990, scholars tagged Philadelphia a "low immigration" city. After 1990, the influx of immigrants to the city became a larger source for population growth, but it did not parallel peer cities in numbers, demographic characteristics, and in the influx of 2nd generation families.
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Do resident attraction programs exist in other cities?
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Yes. These programs are now quite common across the U.S. and around the globe. Originally designed for population growth alone, these programs are now designed to support and complement existing initiatives to improve the lives of residents, spur economic activity, welcome greater diversity, and strengthen a city's competitiveness.
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Are all resident attraction programs the same?
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No. These programs vary widely. Some appeal for new residents broadly while others are hyper-focused and target certain segments of the population based on the demographic needs of the city.
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Does Live Work Philadelphia collaborate with other organizations?
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Collaboration is the foundation of most resident attraction programs. Live Work Philadelphia is proud to announce that Drexel University and the Drexel Solutions Institute serves as its principle partner.
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What is root cause of the demographic imbalance?
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We think there are two principle drivers. First, the decades-long decrease in the city's middle-income population. At the start of the 1970s, middle-income residents comprised 59 percent of the city's population of almost two million people. By 2010, with around 400,000 fewer residents, only 42 percent of the city's people qualified as middle-income.
Second, while the demographic imbalance widened, the city failed to benefit from a significant level of resident growth and influx of diverse populations compared to many mid-to-large US cities. Those cities experienced an influx of immigrants and the arrival of first-and-second-generation US families from traditional immigrant U.S. points of entry. |
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How does Live Work Philadelphia program work?
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Through targeted messaging, ad campaigns, and branding strategies, the program's efforts aim to direct visitors to its digital platforms where visitors can explore the wide range of career and life opportunities in Philadelphia, and thus, better position Philadelphia's brand in the minds of young diverse professionals and families. Our strategies strongly resemble that of Visit Philadelphia that we believe is the gold standard for tourist attraction.
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Why does Philly need a resident attraction program?
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Though Philadelphia is a large US city, it is not widely familiar to young diverse middle income professionals and families. The lack of familiarity is coupled with an attachment or brand affinity that individual diverse communities outside of the region can have with US cities with which they identify both culturally and socially, which has helped to keep Philly's brand generally unknown from various segments of the US population.
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How is Live Work Philadelphia funded?
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As a nonprofit, we have begun to make our appeals to local foundations and the corporate community as we believe our mission aligns well with their focus and priorities.
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Who or what groups will the program target?
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We'll begin by targeting what the city needs and lacks most; diverse, middle-income young professionals who have skill sets or educational attainment local employers generally require. Moreover, the program will target those who prefer urban living, and are escaping high cost cities notably along the northeast corridor of the US.
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Who benefits from this program?
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The health and vibrancy of communities throughout the city is what drive us, and we hope to impact them directly. Employers can expect an increase in candidates to their talent pipelines, while the city can experience increased taxes, and economic activity.
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Shouldn't the focus be placed on low income people rather than middle-income people?
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According to Bruce Katz at the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University, "Urban neighborhoods function best when they contain families with a broad mix of incomes. Economic integration sets in motion a virtuous cycle of functioning markets, attractive amenities, quality schools, and other essentials of community life." A larger middle-income population contributes to the restoration of crucial rungs on the social and economic ladder that have eroded over time.
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Philadelphia is experiencing significant challenges and negative press? Should the city wait to promote itself when things improve, and why would people want to relocate to Philly now?
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Today more than ever, young people and families feel empowered to relocate to places where they believe they can thrive professionally, economically and socially. Philly checks off these boxes but few within the targeted segments are aware of the city's value. Waiting for a more ideal time simply delays the work ahead of us to position Philly for the future and bring about positive momentum to the city's residents and its many communities and neighborhoods.
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