The Insider Archive
The Insider: Philadelphia's Architecture, Engineering and Planning Industry - A City's Unique Landscape, A Sizable Economic Generator
Innovation Matters, Volume 1, Issue 11 - March 12, 2008
Innovation Philadelphia's new study Creative Footprint, has uncovered particular strengths within the following industry sectors: Software Development; Communications and Marketing; Architecture, Engineering and Planning; Graphic and Visual Arts and Multimedia Design; Product and Merchandising Design; and Information Technology. Over the next six issues, Innovation Matters is taking an in-depth look at the big six, and here is what we've found about architecture, engineering and planning:
The Philadelphia Region's architecture, engineering and planning industry sector's economic impact on the Philadelphia Region is $3.5 billion annually. This creative industry sector employs 41,400 workers with average annual wages of $59,300. Architecture, engineering and planning firms comprise nearly 14% of all creative industry employment in the Philadelphia Region.
The Philadelphia Region houses impressive highly-skilled architects, engineers and planners. From 2003-2005, the region's architecture, engineering and planning occupational employment grew by nearly 26%. Employment growth in recent years sets the stage to claim Philadelphia's reputation as a hub for architecture, engineering and planning.
Notable Assets
With Philadelphia being one of the oldest cities and most populated regions in the nation, the city’s landscape is always growing and changing. This provides tremendous business opportunities for the architecture, engineering and planning industry in the region.
"The infrastructure [of Philadelphia] is old and is always in need of updating. Communities both evolve and devolve. The Philadelphia Region is a planner’s dream!" said Charnelle Hicks, President and CEO of CHPlanning Ltd.
"Philadelphia has large, world class firms competing with firms from other major metropolitan cities, as well as a great selection of smaller, boutique firms that cater to a more local clientele," said Alex Davis-Booth, of RMJM Hillier, an international design firm providing architecture, interior design, planning, historic preservation, landscape architecture, and graphic design with a local office in Philadelphia.
Davis-Booth went on to note, " Salaries in Philadelphia seem to be similar to somewhere like New York City, but the cost of living is much lower. Philadelphia firms seem to be more accessible both to clients and people who want to work in them. "
Creative Footprint reported that of the degrees awarded by Philadelphia Region Postsecondary Institutions, 19.4% of the degrees related to the for-profit, creative economy were for architecture, engineering and planning. "The high caliber of universities in the area means that smart, well educated people are already in the area to work in these firms," Davis-Booth added.
The Philadelphia Region is home to numerous well-established architecture, engineering and planning firms. According to the 2007 Philadelphia Business Journal's "Book of Lists", the region's largest architecture firms, by number of local employees, include agencies such as KlingStubbins, EwingCole, Ballinger, Francis Cauffman and Nelson. The top engineering firms in the Philadelphia Region include DMJM Harris/AECOM, URS Corp., Pennoni Associates Inc., McCormick Taylor Inc. and Urban Engineers Inc. Combined, the top architecture and engineering firms employ nearly 8,000 professionals in the Philadelphia Region. Clients of these major firms include Campbell’s Soup, Lincoln Financial, Philadelphia School District and Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Industry Growth
Creative Footprint reports 14.3%, or 5,200 individuals, of self-employed professionals within the creative industry are architecture, engineering and planning professionals. In addition, 26.5% of minority- and female-owned creative businesses in the Philadelphia Region are in the architecture, engineering and planning industry sector.
Davis-Booth describes Philadelphia as having "an up-and-coming feel to the place that attracts young people to the area." Young people bring the talent that regional businesses are seeking to grow and innovate. Young professionals can afford to live in the Philadelphia Region, own a home, and at the same time they can work on good projects, he said. In his eyes, Philadelphia can be described as, "big city, great people, better living."
To showcase Philadelphia's diverse architecture, the American Institute of Architects - Philadelphia Chapter (AIA Philadelphia) will open a Center for Architecture in Philadelphia in April 2008. The center will serve as a design gateway to the City of Philadelphia and the region, and will include the latest in design technologies.
"The Center for Architecture will celebrate the design and building achievements of this region. It will educate and engage a collaborative community of professionals and it will offer the public a convenient venue to engage each other about the future of their communities and the city," said Executive Director of the AIA Philadelphia John Claypool, AIA, AICP.
A Creative Industry Sector on the Rise
Creative Footprint reports the architecture, engineering and planning industry sector in the Philadelphia Region is nearly 10% higher than the national average. At the national level, architecture, engineering and planning continues to grow in popularity as a high value employment industry.
Philadelphia's architectural landscape has not gone unnoticed. Travel and Leisure Magazine recently ranked Philadelphia the second best city in the nation for historical sites/monuments and seventh for architecture/notable buildings.
"At the core of the City's uniqueness is its architecture, which throughout history has reflected the cultural, political and social issues of the times," according to AIA Philadelphia.
The findings in Creative Footprint illustrate the enormous potential of the for-profit, creative economy. In particular, the architecture, engineering and planning industry sector holds tremendous potential in forming a new identity for the Philadelphia Region. Made a reality, this industry will offer economic benefits in the form of new jobs and new businesses and will increase the region's competitiveness across the nation. This new identity will make the region a destination for all businesses thirsty for creative talent.
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