| Description | In 1998, the City of Philadelphia conducted an inventory of vacant houses and lots in Philadelphia neighborhoods. The series combined on-site photographs and field data with city agency information about tax delinquency, ownership, and sales.
Researchers at the Fels Institute of Government re-examined one neighborhood inventoried in 1998: Southwest Center City, defined as the area from Broad Street to Grays Ferry Avenue and South Street to Washington Avenue. In the decade since the original inventory, the Southwest Center City area has changed dramatically.
The project revisited each of the vacant properties surveyed in 1998 to better understand the changing neighborhood. Each property was photographed and a database was compiled with information about occupancy, purchase date and price, tax delinquency, and ownership. In addition, a short-form postcard survey was sent to owner occupants to understand more about who is living in the area. Ultimately, the project revealed that the changes in this neighborhood over the last ten years are remarkable.
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