during their tenures as mayor, clark and dilworth introduced a variety of reforms and innovations. among these was extensive high-rise public housing which would, a generation later, be condemned by many as a breeding ground for poverty and crime. however, they also greatly strengthened the city planning function of philadelphia city government. both retained edmund bacon as executive director of the philadelphia city planning commission, and the clark-dilworth era is recognized as a high-water mark for planning, during which the decline of center city philadelphia as a commercial and residential center was reversed and priority was given (particularly during dilworth's administration) to saving the city's historic and irreplaceable society hill district. dilworth resigned as mayor on february 12, 1962, to launch a second bid for governor.