Publications

Article October 20, 2026 Penn IUR Invites Students and Mentors to Explore Funded Urban Research Opportunities for Spring 2027 The Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium offers students the chance to pair up with faculty and doctoral student mentors investigating an urban issue. Applications for Spring 2027 projects are now open, and prospective participants are invited to an information session on Wednesday, November 18.

Article October 16, 2026 Penn IUR, Center for the Study of Contemporary China Explore Xi-Era Real Estate On October 6–7, 2026, Penn’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC) and Penn IUR co-hosted a conference on “Real Estate in Xi-Era China: Economic, Political, Legal, and Policy Challenges.” Rapid Urbanization Housing

Article October 15, 2026 Penn Institute for Urban Research Announces Strategic Alignment with Global Advisory Council of Leading Cities and Key Participation at Smart City Expo World Congress Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR)’s Co-Director Eugénie Birch has joined the Global Advisory Council (GAC) of Leading Cities, serving on its Capital Development Committee. Dr. Birch will also represent Penn IUR at several high-level events during the upcoming Smart City Expo World Congress at Fira Barcelona. Urban Development

Article October 13, 2026 Transportation Agencies to Pitch Real-World Challenges to Penn On Thursday, October 29, the Transportation Initiative at Penn (TRIP) will host Pitchfest: Transportation at the Penn Museum, connecting Penn students, faculty, and researchers with transportation leaders seeking fresh approaches to transportation challenges.

Article September 29, 2026 Penn IUR Engages Global Partners on Climate Finance and Resilience During Climate Week NYC Penn IUR played an active role during Climate Week NYC, convening discussions on climate finance, resilience, investment, and governance with researchers, policymakers, city and state officials, international organizations, financial institutions, and private-sector leaders. State & Local Finance Anchor Institutions

Article September 29, 2026 Penn Institute for Urban Research Selects 20 Undergraduates as 2026-27 Fellows in Urban Leadership The University of Pennsylvania Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) is pleased to welcome the 2026–27 cohort of Fellows in Urban Leadership, 20 Penn undergraduates who bring a wide range of academic backgrounds, professional experiences and perspectives on the challenges facing cities today.

Article September 16, 2026 Fellow Spotlight: Stephen Hammer Stephen Hammer is a Senior Fellow in climate finance with a joint appointment at the Penn Institute for Urban Research, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and Perry World House. Stephen Hammer Climate Change & Resilience

Annual Report September 9, 2026 Inspiring Urban Futures in Uncertain Times

Article August 24, 2026 To Finance a Transition That “Can’t Wait,” Penn IUR Expands Global Partnerships Two new international partnerships expand Penn IUR's work on climate resilience, governance, and sustainable urban finance. Climate Change & Resilience

Research Paper June 17, 2026 Moving the Needle? Understanding the Uneven Performance of State and Local Land, Transportation, Energy, and Water Conservation Efforts To what degree have state and local governments “moved the needle” with land, transportation, energy, and water conservation efforts? Are America’s urban communities and near-urban environments truly better off? John Landis Urban Development

Article June 4, 2026 Benjamin Keys on Property Insurance and Disaster Risk Dr. Benjamin Keys studies how financial systems shape outcomes in housing markets, with a particular focus on the role of credit, insurance, and regulation in influencing household behavior. Benjamin Keys Housing

Article May 19, 2026 Penn IUR and Urban Studies Program Convene the 21st Urban Doctoral Symposium Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR), in partnership with the Penn Urban Studies Program, hosted the 21st Urban Doctoral Symposium on May 15, 2026.

Article May 19, 2026 Susan Wachter Testifies Before Congress on the Future of Housing Finance and Credit Risk Transfer On April 22, 2026, Penn IUR Co-Director and Wharton Professor Susan Wachter testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, offering expert analysis on how credit risk transfer (CRT) mechanisms can strengthen the resilience and transparency of the U.S. housing finance system. Housing

Article April 20, 2026 Penn IUR Fellows in Urban Leadership Explore Housing Policy in Washington, D.C. Penn IUR 2026 Fellows in Urban Leadership traveled to Washington, D.C. on March 27 for an intensive, day-long immersion focused on housing policy. Urban Development Housing

Article April 20, 2026 Faculty Spotlight: Sanya Carley Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Sanya Carley, Penn’s Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action, is leading a new era of multidisciplinary climate strategy. She speaks with Penn IUR about the launch of the Penn Climate office, the upcoming Grand Climate Challenge Initiative, and her research into energy justice and the human costs of the clean energy transition. Climate Change & Resilience

Research Paper April 16, 2026 The Economic and Social Benefits of The Wilmington Land Bank Conservancy Do land bank interventions actually translate into higher home values, or is their impact overstated? This analysis by Econsult Solutions and Penn IUR isolates the effect of proximity to Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank treated properties to determine whether reclaiming blight is measurably boosting Wilmington’s housing market. State & Local Finance

Article March 18, 2026 The Future of Decentralization and Multilevel Governance in a Rapidly Changing World Penn IUR Scholar Paul Smoke convened scholars, practitioners, and policy leaders at New York University (NYU)’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service for a global roundtable on the future of decentralization and multilevel governance (MLG) on February 26–27, 2026. Urban Development

Article March 18, 2026 Identifying a New Approach to Triple Urban Climate Finance The Global SDSN Commission for Urban SDG Finance held its first member-only forum of 2026 in February under Chatham House Rule to discuss the latest insights from leading urban finance experts. Climate Change & Resilience State & Local Finance

Article March 17, 2026 Mariaflavia Harari on Slum Upgrading and Urban Development Outcomes Dr. Mariaflavia (Nina) Harari studies at the intersection of urban economics, international development, and real estate, focusing on how institutions, land markets, and infrastructure shape the evolution of cities in emerging economies Urban Development

Article February 18, 2026 Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium Advances Urban Scholarship Across Penn The Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium (UURC) is a seminar that embeds undergraduates in faculty- and doctoral student-mentored research on emerging urban challenges. Urban Development

Article February 12, 2026 Fernando Ferreira on the Economic Value of Zoning Reform Fernando Ferreira studies how public policy and market forces interact to shape cities, housing markets, and public outcomes State & Local Finance

Article January 20, 2026 Expert Voices 2026 | The Great Experiment: Cities and the Federal System Experts share their perspectives on how America’s unique federal system has shaped national and metropolitan development across 250 years. Eugénie L. Birch Susan Wachter Urban Development

Research Paper December 11, 2025 Surveillance or Safety? How Cities are Rewriting Tourism Cities are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool to enhance safety through predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and rapid response systems. At the same time, AI deployment raises pressing governance questions. Mauricio Rodas Eugénie L. Birch Luke Campo Urban Development

Article December 11, 2025 Highlights for 2025 We’ve rounded up Penn IUR’s highlights for 2025 in this photo montage celebrating 20 years of urban research.

Article December 10, 2025 Commissioners Join Leaders at CoMotion GLOBAL 2025 to Advance the Mayors in Motion Initiative At CoMotion GLOBAL 2025 in Riyadh, Mauricio Rodas and Eugénie L. Birch, representing the Secretariat of the UN SDSN’s Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, joined more than 100 city leaders, policymakers, and innovators for the launch of Mayors in Motion. Mauricio Rodas Eugénie L. Birch Climate Change & Resilience Rapid Urbanization

Publications

New Research Paper

All Publications

Don’t miss the latest from Penn IUR. Subscribe to Urban Link.