Built Environment

Announcement October 2, 2026 Transportation Initiative at Penn Welcomes Stephen Gardner as Senior Strategic Advisor The Transportation Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania (TRIP) announces the appointment of Stephen Gardner, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Amtrak, as a Senior Strategic Advisor.
Urban Leadership Awardee Jane Golden
Executive Director, City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
Urban Development
Urban Leadership Awardee Joan Dawson McConnon
Co-Founder, Project HOME
Housing
Urban Leadership Awardee Victor Santiago Pineda
President, World ENABLED Adjunct Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of California-Berkeley Executive Director, Center for Independent Living
Urban Development State & Local Finance
Oct 29 11:00 am Special Briefing on Data Centers: Will they power the US economy or bog it down in a swamp of controversy? Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Eugénie L. Birch Amanda Kass Thomas Sanchez Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh Urban Development State & Local Finance
Oct 29 2:30 pm Pitchfest: Transportation Speakers:  Leslie Richards Gia Biagi Solomon Caviness Mark Compton Marie Therese Dominguez Richard Farr Sabrina Sussman
News August 4, 2026 Birch, Rodas author op-ed on AI Governance Penn IUR's research in AI governance led by Eugenie Birch and Mauricio Rodas in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Urban Development
Lucy Chamberlain Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Lucy Chamberlain
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Marilyn Shi Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Marilyn Shi
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Natalie Cheng Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Natalie Cheng
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Jack Kramer Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Jack Kramer
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
News May 15, 2026 Listed median rents across the 50 largest metro areas decreased in April Penn IUR's Susan Wachter notes units coming to market years from now will be impacted by today's higher costs, particularly for fuel costs. 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
May 14 2026 Past Event Special Briefing on Boosting Infrastructure Investment for Global Cities: Lessons from the $4 Trillion U.S. Municipal Bond Market Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Alexander Chilton Paul Smoke Emily Brock Pietrangelo De Biase Sean Dougherty State & Local Finance
Apr 09 2026 Past Event Death of Distance Redux? How AI is Changing the Future of Cities Speakers:  Elizabeth Delmelle Erick Guerra John Landis Susan Wachter Xiaojiang Li Urban Development
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 In Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter weighs in on the direction of the housing markets.  Housing
Feb 20 2026 Past Event Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities Conference: Reimagining Urban Futures Urban Development State & Local Finance
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

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