Downtown Harrisburg Community Perception Survey Results

Downtown Harrisburg has no shortage of people who care about its future.

To channel that energy productively, the Pennsylvania Downtown Center conducted a community perception survey earlier this year, and more than 4,000 residents, workers, and visitors responded. What came back was both encouraging and clear-eyed: strong pride in the city’s architecture, riverfront, and cultural assets, alongside real frustrations around parking, everyday retail, safety, and business climate. Read the key findings below.

Emerging Revitalization Strategies

1. Reestablish downtown as a place for daily life.

Survey respondents consistently emphasized that recruiting everyday essentials—such as a grocery store, pharmacy, and practical retail—is critical to making downtown a functional, livable place rather than a destination limited to dining or events.

2. Refine parking to unlock investment and visitation.

Parking was identified as the most significant barrier to downtown activity, indicating an urgent need for more affordable, user‑friendly, creative, and clearly communicated parking policies to encourage daily activity, visits, business growth, and longer stays.

3. Improve perceptions and reality of safety and cleanliness.

Continue to address both actual and perceived safety through better lighting, visible presence, cleaner streets, pedestrian safety, and coordinated social services emerged as a key strategy to increase comfort and confidence, particularly in the evenings.

4. Support a healthier, more diverse business ecosystem.

The survey points to an opportunity to strengthen downtown by reducing regulatory friction, offering incentives, and actively supporting small businesses, nonprofits, and cultural institutions to create a more diverse and resilient mix of uses through both intentional business recruitment and retention.

5. Create energy through housing, events, and coordinated partnerships.

Respondents consistently linked downtown prosperity to increased residential presence, frequent and well‑promoted events, regularly activated public spaces, stronger connections to surrounding neighborhoods, and clearer, more collaborative leadership.

Positive Findings

The community perception survey surfaced several positive perceptions and strengths that downtown Harrisburg can build upon. Many respondents acknowledged the downtown’s architectural character, historic assets, and riverfront setting, noting that these elements give the area a distinctive sense of place and untapped potential.

Cultural institutions, the arts scene, and select restaurants were frequently mentioned as anchors that continue to draw people downtown and create meaningful activity, particularly during events and performances. Respondents who live or work downtown often highlighted walkability within the core, access to employment, and the daytime presence of workers and students as assets.

There was also a strong undercurrent of optimism: despite frustrations, many participants expressed pride in Harrisburg as the state capital, a belief that revitalization is achievable, and a willingness to support improvement efforts through collaboration, investment, events, and volunteerism.

These responses suggest that downtown Harrisburg retains a solid foundation of physical assets, cultural capital, and engaged stakeholders that can support a positive turnaround. It is evident through the number of respondents completing the survey, and how many people want to be a part of the solution, that unlike so many communities across the Commonwealth and country, apathy is not the issue in our Capital City. This passion and desire to see the city thrive is one our greatest advantages in the revitalization process.

Areas of Opportunity

Downtown Harrisburg’s strongest areas of opportunity center on restoring everyday functionality, safety, and vibrancy. Respondents cited the absence of basic retail and essential services—such as groceries, pharmacies, public facilities and diverse shops—as a major barrier to visiting, living, or staying downtown, compounded by numerous storefront closures and underutilized spaces.

Parking emerged as a dominant deterrent, with high costs, confusing systems, and strict enforcement discouraging residents, workers, and visitors alike. Perceptions of public safety and cleanliness, particularly at night, along with inadequate lighting and limited visible police presence further reduce comfort, especially for women and families.

Comments also pointed to a challenging business climate marked by high taxes, fees, and regulatory hurdles, suggesting an opportunity for incentives, streamlined permitting, and stronger support for small businesses and nonprofits.

Additional opportunities include improving streets, sidewalks, crossings, and ADA access; expanding housing options through mixed-use and residential conversions; revitalizing dining, nightlife, and family-friendly entertainment; better connecting downtown to our neighborhoods and Riverfront Park; reinvigorating weekday foot traffic through state-worker presence or alternative anchors; and investing in coordinated events, marketing, and coordinated partnerships to rebuild a clear, positive identity for downtown Harrisburg.