By the 20th century, Philadelphia had become known as "corrupt and contented", with an

entrenched Republican political machine and a complacent population.[48] The first major reform
came in 1917 when outrage over the election-year murder of a police officer led to the
shrinking of the City Council from two houses to just one.[49] In July 1919, Philadelphia was one
of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to suffer a race riot of ethnic whites against blacks
during Red Summer, in post-World War I unrest, as recent immigrants competed with blacks
for jobs. In the 1920s, the public flouting of Prohibition laws, organized crime, mob violence,
and police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brig. Gen. Smedley
Butler of the U.S. Marine Corps as director of public safety, but political pressure prevented
any long-term success in fighting crime and corruption.[50]
In 1940, non-Hispanic whites constituted 86.8% of the city's population.[51] The population
peaked at more than two million residents in 1950, then began to decline with the restructuring
of industry, which led to the loss of many middle-class union jobs. In
addition, suburbanization had enticed many of the more affluent residents to outlying railroad
commuting towns and newer housing. The resulting reduction in Philadelphia's tax base and
the resources of local government caused the city to struggle through a long period of
adjustment, with it approaching bankruptcy by the late 1980s.[52][53] Revitalization
and gentrification of neighborhoods began in the late 1970s and continues into the 21st
century, with much of the development occurring in the Center City and University
City neighborhoods. After many of the old manufacturers and businesses left Philadelphia or
shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to market itself more
aggressively as a tourist destination. Glass-and-granite skyscrapers were built in Center City
beginning in the 1980s. Historic areas such as Old City and Society Hill were renovated during
the reformist mayoral era of the 1950s through the 1980s, making those areas among the most
desirable neighborhoods in Center City. These developments have begun a reversal of the
city's population decline between 1950 and 2000 during which it lost about one-quarter of its
residents.[54][55] The city eventually began experiencing a growth in its population in 2007, which
has continued with gradual yearly increases to the present.[56][5]

Geog