Prema Katari Gupta has been CEO of the Center City District for two months now and if she had to point to one major goal of her tenure, it’s to bring more commuters back to Center City, writes Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza for WHYY.
Currently, about 100,000 people commute to Center City during an average workweek, with Katari Gupta being one of them.
“I’m in the office every day,” Katari Gupta said. “I refer to my 25 minute train ride as the best part of my day because I decompress and read fiction.”
Getting all workers back into the office is an economic development issue that Katari Gupta is very focused on.
“I worry that too much working remotely will lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness,” she said.
Numbers continue to climb closer to pre-COVID levels, but aren’t quite there.
With some more keen on remote work, however, the conversation shifts to how to reframe the commute.
Katari Gupta highlights that Center City is the area of the city where everyone interacts with people from different walks of life.
It’s something special she hopes to preserve.
The goal is that with more people commuting to Center City and more commuter foot traffic will lead to increased retail activity.
Read more about Prema Katari Gupta’s vision for Center City in WHYY.
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