Steinke spearheads U. City District

Paul Steinke brings over six years with the Center City District to his new position. As the first executive director of the recently formed University City District, Paul Steinke assumes much responsibility -- including the difficult job of improving all of University City. Steinke faces the difficult task of "putting [the special services district] together from nothing" so that it can "sell University City as one of the most desirably locations in Philadelphia," Executive Vice President and UCD Chairperson John Fry said. Steinke comes to the job after more than six years as a top administrator with the Center City District -- a successful program after which UCD is modeled. The UCD was formed earlier this year by many of University City's largest organizations -- including Penn, Drexel, Amtrak and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia -- to draw people to the area by making it cleaner and safer. It extends from 30th to 48th streets and from Spring Garden Street to Woodland Avenue. Penn is the largest single contributor to the UCD, donating $1.5 million of the organization's total endowment of $4.3 million, Fry said. The University will donate a similar amount during each of the next five years, he added. Steinke said he will immediately begin working to improve the quality of life in the area, adding that he wants the UCD to "provide public space maintenance, hospitality and security services and be known for doing it, and have University City be known for it." His first projects include organizing a sidewalk-cleaning and graffiti-removal program and forming a uniformed "safety ambassador" unit to deter crime and serve as additional eyes and ears for area police forces. And a public relations campaign will "promote what makes University City special to the city and the region," Steinke said. In these and other UCD projects, Steinke said, he will take advantage of University City's wide range of resources. "What I see that University City is really part of the healthy urban core of Philadelphia," he said. "It has academic institutions, research institutions and medical institutions, plus great urban neighborhoods that really complement what Center City has to offer." Steinke emphasized that large UCD member institutions such as the University will have to play a major role in contributing to the area's "success story." In addition to being one of the district's major financial sponsors, Steinke said Penn is important for the human resources it can provide to improve the area. It can give the UCD "access to some of the world's best thinkers and doers on these issues." "What I'll ask of [the University] is to? tap into some of the Urban Design and Historic Preservation programs for which Penn is famous to help bring some of Penn's world-renowned expertise to bear on the issues affecting University City," he added. For example, students will have the opportunity to intern with the UCD once Steinke finishes its initial organization. Another long-term goal of the UCD is to expand the area's business base, he said. Because cleaner streets and safer neighborhoods will draw consumers into the area, Steinke explained, "just about every business that has its base in University City? and who cares about the quality of life of the neighborhood could be involved [with the organization]," Steinke explained. But some professors and students emphasized that improving West Philadelphia requires more from the University than a simple commitment to fund the UCD. "This is one prong of a policy necessary to revitalize West Philadelphia," said Urban Studies co-director and West Philadelphia resident Michael Katz. "The University should [also] commit funds to the purchase and rehabilitation of housing, help develop an excellent public elementary school and radically improve the amenities available in the neighborhood."