Built Environment

Article November 14, 2025 Fellows in Urban Leadership Explore Climate Resilience in New York City The University of Pennsylvania’s 2025-2026 cohort of Fellows in Urban Leadership traveled to New York City for a full-day immersion into the layered, interdisciplinary work of building urban climate resilience. Climate Change & Resilience
Article October 29, 2025 Shane Jensen on the Price Effects of Greening Vacant Lots Shane Jensen is Professor of Statistics and Data Science at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a Penn IUR Faculty Fellow. Shane Jensen Urban Development
Podcasts October 28, 2025 Special Briefing on Strategies for Closing the US Infrastructure Gap Public infrastructure gaps and deferred maintenance are critical challenges for state and local governments. Join William Glasgall, Penn IUR Fellow and Volcker Alliance Public Finance Adviser, and Susan Wachter, Co-Director of Penn IUR and Wharton professor, and our expert panel as we discuss how states and municipalities can better measure, manage, and fund infrastructure gaps. Panelists include Geoffrey Buswick, Managing Director & Sector Leader in U.S. Public Finance, S&P Global Ratings; Camila Fonseca Sarmiento, Director of Fiscal Research, Institute for Urban and Regional Infrastructure Finance; Hughey Newsome, Chief Financial Officer, Sound Transit; Leslie Richards, Professor of Practice, City and Regional Planning, Weitzman School of Design and Former CEO of SEPTA; Fatima Yousofi, Senior Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts.  Geoffrey Buswick Camila Fonseca Sarmiento Hughey Newsome Fatima Yousofi Leslie Richards State & Local Finance
Article October 20, 2025 Erick Guerra on the Costs and Benefits of Roads Erick Guerra studies the intersection of transportation, land use, and travel behavior, particularly in rapidly urbanizing and motorizing cities.  Urban Development
Fellow Matt Rader
President, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Climate Change & Resilience
News October 1, 2025 Penn Launches Richards Transportation Initiative To Drive Smarter, More Accessible Mobility Solutions Urban Development
Announcement September 25, 2025 Penn Launches Richards Transportation Initiative to Drive Smarter, More Accessible Mobility Solutions Urban Development
Initiatives September 4, 2025 Transportation Initiative at Penn Leslie Richards has launched a new Transportation Initiative at Penn (TRIP), a hub for research, innovation, and real-world solutions in transportation housed in the Institute for Urban Research. Urban Development
News August 26, 2025 Transit cuts ripple far beyond commutes Faculty Fellow Megan Ryerson on SEPTA service reduction impacts Urban Development
Nov 10 2025 Past Event Overbuilt: Book Talk and Conversation with Erick Guerra Speakers:  Erick Guerra 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
Affiliated PhD Student Shengao Yi
PhD Student, City & Regional Planning
Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development
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
Nov 22 2024 Past Event Statecraft Urbanism: Building Garden City in Shenzhen Speakers:  Li Hou Urban Development
Nov 11 2024 Past Event Carbon Capture and Cities Speakers:  Thomas Daniels Masoud Akbarzadeh Dorit Aviv Jennifer Wilcox Sanya Carley William W. Braham Climate Change & Resilience
Headshot of Sharicca Boldon, a Black woman with short hair and glasses
Affiliated PhD Student Sharicca Boldon
Director, Comprehensive Executive Programs, Wharton Executive Education
Urban Development Anchor Institutions
Affiliated PhD Student Adwaita Banerjee
Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development + 1
Headshot of Boqian Xu
Emerging Scholar Boqian Xu
Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University
Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development
Emerging Scholar Chris Quattro
Assistant Professor of Geography and Planning, Appalachian State University
Urban Development
News July 8, 2024 Pennsylvania Legalized Speed Cameras. You Won’t Believe What Happened Next. Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Erick Guerra spoke with Next City about pedestrian safety. Urban Development

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