Publications

Article September 30, 2025 SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance in NYC During Climate Week NYC 2025, the SDSN Global Commission pressed on with its agenda to enable subnational actors to mobilize and deploy resilient, low-carbon infrastructure through climate finance. Eugénie L. Birch Mauricio Rodas Amanda Lloyd Delfina Vildosola Climate Change & Resilience

Annual Report August 6, 2025 Ideas, Inquiry, & Impact: Celebrating 20 Years of Urban Research Penn IUR is pleased to announce its 2024-2025 Penn IUR Annual Report, Ideas, Inquiry, & Impact: Celebrating 20 Years of Urban Research Urban Development

Article May 30, 2025 Jessie Handbury on Shifts in Urban Living Patterns Jessie Handbury’s research studies the interplay between spatial and socio-economic inequality, with a focus on the spatial distribution of retail amenities. Urban Development

Article May 28, 2025 Penn Institute for Urban Research Awarded Grant to Re-envision the University’s Role as an Anchor Institution Penn IUR's "Penn as an Anchor Institution" project has been selected for support through the University of Pennsylvania’s Draw Down the Lightning grants, a new initiative of the Office of the President and Office of the Provost. Anchor Institutions

Article May 22, 2025 Image of Newark Skating Community Named Winner of the Penn IUR Photo Contest "Gather" Luke Walter's image of skaters in Newark, New Jersey is this winner of the 2025 Penn IUR Photo Contest celebrating place-based connection. Urban Development

Article May 22, 2025 Doctoral Symposium Celebrates New Urban Research at Penn The Penn Institute for Urban Research celebrated the university’s urban scholars at the 18th Annual Urban Doctoral Symposium & Poster session, highlighting the dissertation work of three newly minted urban PhDs. Urban Development

Research Paper April 23, 2025 Integrating Urban and Subnational Priorities into Country Platforms: Strengthening Global Commitments Climate Change & Resilience State & Local Finance

Publication April 16, 2025 Penn IUR Joins Global Leaders in Cape Town for Urban Ecosystem Restoration Workshop Penn IUR participated as a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) partner in the Generation Restoration global workshop for urban nature-based solutions (NbS) held in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2025. Climate Change & Resilience

Article April 14, 2025 Seventh Annual Jeremy Nowak Memorial Lecture Reunites Founders to Reflect on Roots of Mission-Driven Finance The Seventh Annual Jeremy Nowak Memorial Lecture—hosted by the Reinvestment Fund and the Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR)—reunited the founders of the Reinvestment Fund to reflect on the powerful relationships, social movements, and vision that laid its foundation. Urban Development

Article March 26, 2025 Urban Perspectives in Practice: Fellows in Urban Leadership Visit Washington, D.C. Penn IUR’s Urban Research Fellows traveled to Washington, D.C. for a day-long, immersive experience exploring the intersection of urban policy, advocacy, and community development. Urban Development

Article March 26, 2025 John MacDonald on Addressing Abandoned Housing to Improve Public Safety John MacDonald's article, “Lessons Learned from a Citywide Abandoned Housing Experiment,” offers valuable insights into the relationship between the built environment and community wellbeing. Housing

Article March 26, 2025 Navigating Uncertainty in Federal Transportation Policy With significant policy reversals, staffing cuts, and the suspension of previously awarded federal funds, cities are being forced to reconsider how they plan, finance, and operate public transportation. State & Local Finance

Article February 26, 2025 Megan Ryerson on Resilient, Environmentally-efficient Transportation Megan Ryerson's scholarship examines the interplay between transportation networks, urban development, energy efficiency and resilience. Urban Development

Article February 26, 2025 Navigating Economic Uncertainty: Insights from Special Briefing From government downsizing and budget cuts to trade tariffs and mounting national debt, the economic landscape is fraught with uncertainty. Penn IUR and the Volcker Alliance hosted a Special Briefing on February 20, 2025 with leading economists, policymakers, and financial experts for a timely discussion. State & Local Finance

Article February 26, 2025 A Strategic Partnership to Advance Urban SDG Financing Penn IUR and the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) have teamed up for a strategic partnership to support the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance. Climate Change & Resilience Rapid Urbanization

Research Paper February 6, 2025 Megapolitan America Revisited: Demographic Trends to 2040 This report updates Nelson and Lang’s original analysis to provide demographic projections for all 23 megapolitan areas through 2040. This information, in turn, should be used by policymakers and planners to inform decisions about infrastructure investments, economic development opportunities, and housing demands. Arthur C. Nelson David Damore Urban Development Housing

Article January 28, 2025 Expert Voices 2025 | Access to Sustainable and Affordable Housing Each year, Penn IUR engages a distinguished group of international experts to address a pressing urban challenge. This year, we asked leading voices in housing policy, urban planning, and finance to share their perspectives on a critical question: What bold actions or structural reforms are needed to ensure access to sustainable and affordable housing, and particularly to expand supply? What are the effective strategies that national and subnational governments can use to address this challenge? Eugénie L. Birch Susan Wachter Henry Cisneros Lance Freeman Laurie Goodman Benjamin Keys John Landis Marc H. Morial, Esq. Vincent Reina Housing

Article December 11, 2024 2024 Highlights and Season's Greetings As we wind down the year, we reflect on Penn IUR’s many activities and accomplishments in 2024 as well as the year ahead--our 20th! Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development + 2

Article December 9, 2024 Laura Perna on Access to Higher Education Among the nation's leading scholars on issues of college access and affordability, Laura Perna has advanced the discourse on equity in higher education through numerous highly acclaimed edited volumes, reports, and articles. Her scholarship examines the policy choices for enabling access—and success—for post-K-12 education, assessing college access, affordability, and success--especially for low-income, first-generation, and non-traditional students. Laura Perna Urban Development

Article November 18, 2024 Dennis Culhane on The Emerging Crisis of Aged Homelessness Dennis Culhane’s current research examines the relationship between homelessness and the aging of the “Baby Boom” cohort. Dennis Culhane Housing

Book November 14, 2024 Urban Sustainable Development: Governance, Finance, and Politics Urban Sustainable Development: Governance, Finance, and Politics addresses the critical challenges of promoting sustainable growth in rapidly expanding cities. Eugénie L. Birch Mauricio Rodas Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development + 1

Research Paper November 7, 2024 The Green Cities Guarantee Fund: Unlocking Access to Urban Climate Finance The SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance proposes a Green Cities Guarantee Fund (GCGF) as an important tool to increase the flow of public and private capital into subnational climate-responsive projects. This report details the case for the GCGF, offers a roadmap for operationalizing the fund, and makes suggestions for its initial market pilot in Latin America. Mauricio Rodas Eugénie L. Birch Luke Campo Climate Change & Resilience

Article November 1, 2024 Fellows in Urban Leadership View Planning's Complexities During NYC Trip Fellows in Urban Leadership traveled to New York City for a day of tours and networking with industry leaders in planning, transportation, parks, waste management, and more. Urban Development

Research Paper October 26, 2024 From Grey to Green: Better data to finance nature in cities The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) released a report for the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme Cities Unit’s State of Finance for Nature in Cities, "From Grey to Green: Better data to finance nature in cities," during COP16 Colombia. Amanda Lloyd Eugénie L. Birch Climate Change & Resilience

Article October 24, 2024 Faculty Spotlight: Allison Lassiter Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Allison Lassiter is adapting drinking water systems to climate change. She tells Penn IUR about a tool her lab is developing, SaltCast, and her role in serving on Penn’s delegation to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. Climate Change & Resilience

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