News

News March 22, 2026 President Trump’s portable mortgage push may let you keep your 3% rate — experts say it might backfire. What to do now Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how interventions in the housing finance system must balance mobility with market stability Housing

March 4, 2026 How Even Mortgage Rates are Impacted by the War in the Middle East Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how the rise in oil prices contributes to increased inflation leading to increased mortgage rates Housing

News March 1, 2026 Real Estate Business Data Shows Housing Market Shifting Back Toward Buyers Housing

News February 25, 2026 The Housing Market Is Tilting Back Toward Buyers Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on the nationwide shift toward a buyer’s market. Housing

News January 28, 2026 A Municipal Debt Boom Is Driving Public Projects and Tax Breaks for Investors Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how municipal debt is reshaping how cities build... and who benefits State & Local Finance

News January 27, 2026 Trade tensions are whipsawing US mortgage rates. What happens next? Housing

News January 21, 2026 Trump Jabs CNN as Mortgage Rates Hit 3-Year Low Housing

News January 6, 2026 Waymo, meet Pittsburgh: Are driverless taxis ready for Steel City streets? Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Erick Guerra on how Waymo's technology fits into the U.S. traffic safety crisis. Urban Development

News January 4, 2026 Beyond zoning reform Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Ben Keys (The Wharton School) and Vincent Reina (University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design) on how the solution to the housing affordability crisis goes beyond zoning reform Housing

News December 30, 2025 Home prices ticked up in October, but the pace of growth remains slow Housing

News December 30, 2025 Housing Market 2026 Forecast: Wharton Professor's Real Estate Trends to Watch Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter of The Wharton School on predictions for real estate in 2026 Housing

News December 16, 2025 Leslie Richards on Penn’s Ambitious New Transportation Initiative The former CEO of PennDOT and SEPTA is working to break down silos and overcome the barriers to innovation. Leslie Richards Urban Development

News December 15, 2025 Rethinking streets designed for life Yadan Luo, lecturer in the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of the Design's Department of Landscape Architecture, on a blueprint for what’s possible for Philadelphia's streets. Urban Development

News December 12, 2025 Evidence-Based Design Is Making Philadelphia Safer Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Charles Branas, Eugenia South, and John MacDonald, among others on how small, targeted environmental design interventions can meaningfully improve safety and strengthen community bonds in the process Urban Development

News December 9, 2025 New Report on Pennsylvania’s Creative Workforce Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Jamaal Green on his data analysis involvement for the statewide report to inform workforce development, apprenticeships, and creative economy policy Urban Development

News December 9, 2025 NYC leading office-to-housing conversions Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Vincent Reina of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design on what it takes to make office-to-housing conversions viable. Housing

Announcement December 8, 2025 Call for Papers: Demographic Dynamics and Housing Affordability Housing Studies invites submissions by February 1, 2026, for a workshop and special issue on the relationships between demographic dynamics and housing. Housing

News December 4, 2025 Map Shows States Rolling Back Property Taxes Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on affordability benefits to homeowners through a reduction of property tax rates Housing

News December 3, 2025 Seattle Completes Two-Year United Nations Generation Restoration Program Penn IUR's joint study with United Nations Environment Programme contributes to Seattle Parks and Recreation's joining of a global cohort as the only U.S. "Role Model City" Urban Development

News November 25, 2025 The Trump Administration’s Portable Mortgage Push Could Let You Keep Your 3% Rate, but Experts Warn It May Backfire. What Can Homeowners Do Now? State & Local Finance

News November 25, 2025 AI’s Ripple Effects Extend to Home Sales Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how AI-driven shifts in the labor market contribute to national home-price appreciation deceleration Housing

News November 25, 2025 The $7,500 Self-Deportation Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how self-deportation decreases demand for housing and exerts downward pressure on rent growth Housing

Announcement November 19, 2025 Penn Institute for Urban Research Releases Policy Brief on the Future of the GSEs The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) at the University of Pennsylvania has released a new policy brief, “The Future of the GSEs: Conservatorship, Capital, and Mission, Housing

News November 19, 2025 Climate risk is reshaping America’s housing market Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Ben Keys on how rising home insurance premiums are eroding property values in the nation’s most disaster-prone areas. Climate Change & Resilience Housing

News November 18, 2025 Air travel quandary: Gad Allon and Megan Ryerson on challenges and solutions Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Megan S. Ryerson examines why is air travel so strained and what can fix it. Urban Development

News November 12, 2025 President Trump has proposed a 50-year mortgage. What that would mean for home buyers Housing

News November 5, 2025 The housing market looks K-shaped, too Housing

News October 29, 2025 Penn IUR Received $10 Million Grant to Bolster Urban Research Urban Development

Announcement October 17, 2025 Penn IUR and the Transportation Initiative at Penn Announce Today Our Public Sector Advisory Committee Urban Development

News October 8, 2025 Penn launches new initiative to integrate research with ‘practical needs’ of transportation agencies Urban Development

News October 1, 2025 Penn Launches Richards Transportation Initiative To Drive Smarter, More Accessible Mobility Solutions Urban Development

News September 30, 2025 University of Pennsylvania launches mobility solutions initiative Urban Development

News September 26, 2025 Transit Briefs: R-TRIP, MTA LIRR, Metra, REM Urban Development

News September 26, 2025 Former SEPTA chief Leslie Richards will lead a Penn transportation research initiative Urban Development

Announcement September 25, 2025 Penn Launches Richards Transportation Initiative to Drive Smarter, More Accessible Mobility Solutions Urban Development

Announcement September 22, 2025 Penn receives $10M to strengthen urban research locally and globally The funds will support the Institute for Urban Research’s advancement of research, education, and policy solutions for cities. Urban Development Anchor Institutions

News September 12, 2025 Marketplace: The Effect of Falling Mortgage Rates Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter talks with Marketplace on what falling mortgage rates represent for the economy and potential homebuyers. Housing

News September 5, 2025 SEPTA Cuts Threaten Commutes and Local Economy Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Leslie Richards discusses the threats SEPTA cuts pose for vulnerable residents. Urban Development

News August 26, 2025 Transit cuts ripple far beyond commutes Faculty Fellow Megan Ryerson on SEPTA service reduction impacts Urban Development

News August 25, 2025 U.S. home sales rose 2% in July — but affordability remains near historic lows Penn IUR's Susan Wachter tells Marketplace: there’s only a “slight — but I have to underline slight — improvement.” Housing

News August 15, 2025 Eugenie L. Birch to receive the 2025 Above and Beyond Award from the Regional Plan Association RPA will recognize Dr. Birch for her many contributions to urban planning and policy here and abroad in October 2025. Urban Development

News August 13, 2025 The Global Threat of Salt Contamination to Water Supplies Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Allison Lassiter is featured in Penn Today for her work on rising salt levels in freshwater sources. Climate Change & Resilience

News July 24, 2025 The Mortgage Rate Shift That Could Change the Housing Market Housing

News July 20, 2025 This is the summer of flooding across the US, and scientists know why Climate Change & Resilience

News July 11, 2025 Gen Z Homeowners Suffer Property Tax Shock Housing

News July 10, 2025 Transit Funding Crisis Unfolds in Pennsylvania Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Leslie Richards is featured in The American Prospect . Urban Development

Announcement June 18, 2025 Penn Institute for Urban Research Joins with Korea Housing Finance Corporation to Advance Global Housing Finance and Urban Policy Solutions through New Partnership Penn IUR and the Korea Housing Finance Corporation have entered into a formal partnership, marking a significant milestone in international collaboration on urban policy, housing finance and sustainable development. Housing

News June 11, 2025 Fannie and Freddie could make hedge funds a huge payday if they go public. One expert wants a ‘utility model’ for the Fortune 500 giants Housing State & Local Finance

News May 22, 2025 There are more houses for sale in the U.S., but not enough buyers that can afford them Housing

News May 21, 2025 Trump Floats ‘Very Serious’ Plan That Could Hike Mortgage Rates Housing

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