Event attendees were surveyed at many UCD community events in 2018 and 2019. A total of 753 event attendees were surveyed at Clark Park Movie Nights, the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, and 40th Street Summer Series.

Here are some takeaways, summarizing points, and snippets that I found interesting:

 

Demographics

Age

The median age of people surveyed at UCD events was 30. Average age was 33.2. A comparison of people surveyed versus University City’s age makeup from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey is shown below. The results are skewed by the fact that no children were surveyed.

The median age of people surveyed at UCD events was 30. Average age was 33. A comparison of people surveyed versus University City’s age makeup from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey is shown below. The results are skewed by the fact that no children were surveyed. The median ages at different UCD event series was as follows: Dollar Stroll: 27; Movie nights: 30; Summer Series: 40.

Gender

At the 2018-2019 events, 235 (65%) respondents identified as female, 104 (29%) as male, and 22 (6%) as non-binary or genderqueer. 9% of respondents did not answer the question (the question was not asked on all event surveys). The makeup of University City as a whole is approximately 50.8% female and 49.2% male. The American Community Survey asks about sex and only includes two options. The UCD survey of moviegoers asked the fill-in question, “What gender do you identify most with?”

Income

Generally, while the income breakdown of survey respondents was not drastically different than the income breakdown of University City residents, fewer people in the lowest income group (less than $20,000 annual household income) were surveyed at events than there are that live in University City.



More lower-income attendees were surveyed at the Dollar Stroll, while Summer Series and Clark Park Movie Nights saw higher proportions of people in higher-income groups. However, the sample size of Summer Series respondents was quite low, so conclusions may not be valid.

Race

Overall, the racial breakdown of survey respondents was quite similar to the race breakdowns of University City residents. Below are figures displaying race breakdown for all events, breakdown by event, and then figures showing specific races. For some racial groups, sample sizes were too small to make any valid conclusions.

Student Status

Overall, the proportion of survey respondents who are university students (23%) was lower than the proportion of University City residents who are university students (43%). The question, “Are you a university student?” was asked at the Clark Park movie nights and at Summer Series. At the movie nights, 25% of respondents were students, and at Summer Series, 7% of respondents were students.

Summer Series takes place on Penn’s campus but during the summer when most students are away. Additionally, the number of surveys conducted at the Summer Series event was quite low, so conclusions from those data may be unreliable.

Location and Housing

Survey respondents were made up of long-term residents and newcomers to the neighborhood. About 40% of survey respondents had lived at their current address for one year or less. About 30% of respondents had lived at their address for five or more years.

The figure below shows where eventgoers are coming from. Most respondents live in West Philadelphia. Some surveys asked for home zip code, while others asked for the closest intersection to their homes. These trends were consistent between types of events, with slightly higher numbers of attendees from outside West Philly at the Dollar Stroll.

Event Details

On a scale from 1-5 (5 is best), survey respondents rated UCD events highly, with an average rating of 4.4. Movies in Clark Park had an average rating of 4.6; the Dollar Stroll had an average rating of 4.3; 40th Street Summer Series had an average rating of 4.25.



Word of mouth was the most effective means of hearing about events for many survey respondents. This was especially true for Dollar Stroll attendees. Facebook was also an effective medium.


Questions Specific to Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll

More than 76% of respondents said that after the Dollar Stroll, they were very likely to visit Baltimore Avenue again in the future. Of the respondents who had never visited Baltimore Avenue, 54% said they were very likely to return (4% said they were very unlikely to return).

What do you believe is the biggest issue facing University City?

Surveys asked the open-ended question, “What do you believe is the biggest issue facing University City?” Only about half of survey respondents answered this question (382 or 51% answered the question). Some of the most common responses are displayed in the figure below. Some respondents mentioned multiple issues. Gentrification was by far the most commonly mentioned issue (33% of respondents), with an additional 15% of respondents mentioning housing affordability. There were no significant differences in the proportion of people who responded to the question when split up by demographic group.


When looking at the “biggest issue” data split up by demographic group, lowest income respondents (less than $20,000 income) were more likely to mention gentrification as University City’s biggest issue than other demographic groups.



A scrollable table of all responses to the question (What do you believe is the biggest issue facing University City?) is provided below.

Issue
crime
streets messed up
equitable education
gentrification
uneven sidewalks
rent too high
diversity
too many apartment buildings
gentrification; affordable housing
traffic
parking, housing
unaffordable housing
housing
not enough food
affordable rentals
parking
mismatch in talent vs jobs
crime, gentrification
reputation
rapid population growth
inadequate schools
security
poverty
safety
roads
conflict with local interests
pot holes
cost
construction
proper and comprehensive sex education
inequality
lack of merging between local community and visitors (like students)
bridging the gap between economic classes
ignorance
parking; traffic
parking; crime
Penn’s refusal to pay tax subsidies
overcrowded; no parking
sink hole
housing prices
parking; construction
no 24/7 spots besides wawa, mcdonalds, etc
housing prices; pot holes
affordable housing; transit
affordable housing
want more boutique stores and restaurants
parking; safety
illegal marijuana
lead
increase in real estate taxes
overcrowded
overdevelopment
affordable housing; education
homelessness
housing prices; homelessness
crime; litter
economic disparities
underfunded public schools
safety; blight
new construction
unprecedented growth
insufficient housing
lack of fresh air
climate change
infrastructure maintenance
lack of protected bike lanes
need more locally owned shops
noise
drug use
overdevelopment; gentrification
Penn
landlords
freedom
lack of fun things to do
unreadable
trash
none
theft
funding
lack of affordable housing
property prices
rising rent
housing affordability and equity
rapidly increasing price of housing
frats
Mayor Kenney and fraternity culture
gentrification and social exclusion of longtime residents
gentrification - need more home loans to POC
How Penn interacts with the community
the city itself
Gentrification creeping out of UC into West Philly
Penn students
It shouldn’t keep expanding into West Philly. Leave West Philly alone
inclusivity, gentrification
income disparities
decrease in affordable housing
homeowner/family residency vs renter, front yard maintenance
rogue federal government
paying for parking
unleashed dogs
rent cost
maintaining balanced diversity
maintaining a neighborhood identity with the highly transient college population
income inequality
bike safety and access
increased rent/affordability
crime and negative stereotypes
cost of living
meeting needs of both long time and new residents
too many students and dog poop
current communities being pushed out
inclusion of all people
reaching people
gentrification; expensive housing
lack of affordable rentals
crime; gentrification
systemic oppression
gentrification; encroachment from Penn
Penntrification
expensive rent/housing
broken sidewalks
too much student housing – need diversity of housing options
lack of POC/youth hired in community
housing costs
rental prices
lack of retail development
housing equity
unemployment
community outreach programs
increasing cost of housing
lack of parking
gentrification; poor healthcare access
gentrification; fair housing
Clarkville; gentrification
gentrification; community organizing
this used to be named West Philly
construction is slow
people should use the nextdoor app
rising cost of apartments
developing on our parks and greenspace; tearing down historic buildings
too crowded
student housing
overcrowding; overdevelopment
rapid development; Penn not paying taxes
global warming
cleanliness; too many apartments
I wish the city helped homeless people more
Not enough support for homeless
gun violence
capitalism
security near 4200 and 4300 blocks of Chester
taxes for older people
new development
polarization
litter
high housing costs; new people not respecting the locals
gentrification; police violence
gentrification; parking
lead poisoning
dog poop
I would like to see more use of public space for events
gentrification; large corporations buying properties
gentrification; white supremacists
universities
high rent
high rental prices and poor landlords
development and housing equality
housing - affordability and big ugly student apts
balance residents need for affordable housing
gentrification/displacement
overbuilding, traffic
losing parks, need more rooftop gardens
need more protected bike lanes