PHILADELPHIA —  The Mayor’s Office today issued a progress report highlighting key investments and initiatives aimed at advancing equitable and inclusive growth in Philadelphia delivered on by the Kenney administration from 2016-2023. The report tracks significant points of progress as well as recommendations to sustain this work.  

“We are dedicated to making Philadelphia a better place for all who live here,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “And that begins with ensuring equity and inclusion in Philadelphia’s local policies, City services, public investments, and economic growth. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and I am confident that our efforts have made City government more diverse, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all its residents, businesses, and communities.” 

The report identifies the following major milestones:

• Eleven Executive Orders that made sweeping changes to City government to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Philadelphia.

• Philadelphia’s official designation as a Certified Welcoming city by Welcoming America. Philadelphia became the largest city in the nation to hold this designation.

• The launch of a comprehensive Inclusive Growth Strategy, which is driving equitable economic growth across communities in Philadelphia.

• Establishing the Workforce Diversity Dashboard and Philadelphia’s Racial Equity Strategy Dashboard, two accountability resources that offer transparency around the composition of the City’s workforce and departments’ efforts to eliminate racial disparities across City government.

• Creating the first-of-its-kind Disability Characteristics Map, which draws on U.S. Census data to track disability statistics for various geographic areas of Philadelphia and improve accessibility, outreach, and services.

• Expansion of the City’s budget process to include racial equity questionnaires, community engagement sessions, and input from residents and City employees to identify top racial equity priorities and inform decisions about the City’s operating costs and long-term investments. 

The equitable growth progress report is available online. This is the third report in a series highlighting the progress the Kenney administration has made on key issues shaping Philadelphia’s future.