Eugénie L. Birch, FAICP, FAcSS, RTPI (hon), is the Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research, Department of City and Regional Planning, and Graduate Dean, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania. She is also the founding Co-Director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research, Birch is co-editor, University of Pennsylvania Press’s City in the 21st Century  series. 

Selected publications include Urban Sustainable Development, Governance, Finance, and Politics, (CEBRI, 2024 with Pedro Vormitagg and Mariana Albuquerque), From Grey to Green: Better Data to Finance Nature (UNEP, 2024 with Amanda Lloyd and Samuel Geldin), State of Finance for Nature in Cities: Time to Assess, (UNEP, 2023, with Mauricio Rodas, Samuel Geldin and Amanda Lloyd), Realigning the Governance Architecture After COVID-19: City Diplomacy and Multilateral Institutions, Journal of International Affairs, (2022, with William Burke-White) and Harnessing Urban Innovation to Unlock the Sustainable Development Goals (Springer, 2024 with Ali Cheshmehzhang, Nicholas You, and Jose Siri). She currently is the co-principal investigator on Penn IUR’s City Climate Resilient Infrastructure Initiative (C2IFI) and Co-Director, Secretariat, SDSN Global Commission on Urban SDG Finance. 

Birch has held many leadership positions including editor, Journal of the American Planning Association; chair, Planning Accreditation Board; president, Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP); Society for American City and Regional Planning History (SACRPH); and the International Planning History Society (IPHS); member of the NYC Planning Commission; chair, UN Habitat’s World Urban Campaign (WUC) and president, General Assembly of Partners (GAP) for the New Urban Agenda. She currently is member, Executive Committee, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN); and Board of the Regional Plan Association (RPA).

Birch has received several awards: Lawrence C. Gerkens Award in Planning History (SACRPH), Martin Meyerson Distinguished Educator Award, Jay Chatterjee Award for Distinguished Service, Margarita McCoy Award (Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning), Above and Beyond Award (Regional Plan Association) and the President’s Award (American Planning Association). 

Birch holds a PhD and Masters degree in Urban Planning, Columbia University.