According to a report by the Philadelphia Workforce Investment, there is a disparity in the city between those who are prospering in a new economy and those who are falling behind. Philadelphia’s future is said to be dependent upon those “two Philadelphias” moving forward together. The disparity can be seen in the educational differences between those who have access to Philadelphia’s many higher education institutions (where approximately 65,000 degrees are awarded annually), and the majority of the city’s adults who are considered low-literate (60%) or don’t have college degrees (80%).

Philadelphia’s economy has been described as “relatively diversified, with meaningful portions of its total output derived from manufacturing, oil refining, food processing, health care and biotechnology, tourism and financial services.” A local newspaper has noted, though, that “universities and their associated hospitals are [Philadelphia’s] biggest economic players.”

The CEO Council for Growth, a group of prominent business executives committed to the city’s prosperity, has also recognized this as a critical time for determining the future direction of the Greater Philadelphia area, noting that future path “must go beyond traditional geopolitical boundaries and embrace innovative approaches to economic growth and development.”