In many ways, 2024 is a year of significant transition for Philadelphia. In this year of transition, the challenge is clear for Philadelphia and its new leaders: They must nurture and strengthen the positive trends while making progress on a set of deep-seated problems that can sometimes seem intractable.

To mark the release of its annual “State of the City” report, The Pew Charitable Trusts held a wide-ranging convening on April 17, highlighting some of the 2024 report’s main findings. More than 100 people, including many civic leaders, attended the panel discussion, which was hosted by the event’s co-sponsor WHYY, the Philadelphia region’s leading public media organization.

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced officials in cities throughout the country to deal with unexpected budget shortfalls quickly. To close a projected one-year gap of $649 million, Philadelphia was forced to take several steps—including drawing down its operating fund balance, postponing planned tax-rate reductions, temporarily increasing some taxes, and reducing spending. But that didn’t address the long-term fiscal issues.

Although Philadelphia’s City Council makeup can change every four years following elections, the council experienced extraordinary turnover in 2024 because of retirements and multiple resignations during the previous term by members running for higher office. In addition, for the first time, the new council has members of the Working Families party holding both at-large seats reserved for the minority party.