A new study by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission found that the Philadelphia-area downtowns with a diversity of uses – such as Upper Darby – fared better during the pandemic, writes Natalie Kostelni for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

These downtowns share several similar characteristics, including a mix of residential and retail uses, transportation options, permanent residential populations, access to trails, and walkability, that helped insulate them against the most severe effects of the pandemic.

 Meanwhile, those communities that lacked one or a combination of those characteristics did not fare as well.

Despite their perennial charm, Swarthmore and Haverford did not do nearly as well as Upper Darby. While each boasts some diversity, they were affected by the absence of college students and the lack of commuters who usually use their train stations.

According to the study findings, towns that are auto-oriented and reliant on colleges as anchor institutions as well as on commuters using transit were impacted significantly more than their peers.

“The pandemic exposed weaknesses that weren’t apparent in prior crises,” said Spencer K. Gober, a senior planner at DVRPC who conducted the study. “Diversity equals resiliency.”

Read more about the study’s findings in the Philadelphia Business Journal.