Domestic

Announcement April 13, 2026 Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter Launches Public Service and Policy Initiative at University of Pennsylvania Penn IUR and Weitzman School of Design is launching a Public Service and Policy Initiative with former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Urban Development
May 15 12:00 pm Organizing DNA: How Neighborhood-Level Power Drives Today’s Movements Speakers:  Daniel Betancourt Emily Dowdall Jasmine Rivera Senator Nikil Saval Martin Trimble State & Local Finance
News March 22, 2026 President Trump’s portable mortgage push may let you keep your 3% rate — experts say it might backfire. What to do now Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how interventions in the housing finance system must balance mobility with market stability Housing
Videos March 20, 2026 How Fannie and Freddie Can Help Make Housing Affordable In a new video produced by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter discusses the historical significance of the American mortgage system in fostering economic equity. Reflecting on the post-war era, she notes that the "great explosion of economic productivity in America was shared by America's households," largely due to the stabilizing force of the fixed-rate mortgage. This innovation provided a shared promise "that growth in our economy is not just for the elite," but for everyone—a standard she argues we must innovate to ensure for the future. Housing
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 February 25, 2026 The Housing Market Is Tilting Back Toward Buyers Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on the nationwide shift toward a buyer’s market. Housing
Mar 26 2026 Past Event Special Briefing on Transportation Opportunities & Challenges in the New Federalism Speakers:  William Glasgall Leslie Richards Eryn Hurley Baye Larsen Robert Poole Naomi Renek Lauren Schapker 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
Feb 19 2026 Past Event Special Briefing on Addressing the Housing Crisis: Innovative Solutions from Across America Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Hannah Blitzer Eric Goldywn Laurie Goodman Paul Steenhausen State & Local Finance
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Advisory Board Member Mayor Janet Cowell
Mayor, Raleigh
State & Local Finance
News January 6, 2026 Waymo, meet Pittsburgh: Are driverless taxis ready for Steel City streets? Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Erick Guerra on how Waymo's technology fits into the U.S. traffic safety crisis. Urban Development
Podcasts December 20, 2025 Special Briefing on the Outlook for 2026: How States & Cities Will Adapt to Wrenching Change As a year marked by fiscal uncertainty and shifting federal priorities comes to a close, state and local governments are grappling with structural changes. 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 federal retrenchment, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven growth, and sharply rising municipal market borrowing market will shape state and local finances in the year ahead. Panelists include Torsten Slok, Partner and Chief Economist at Apollo Global Management; Matt Fabian, Partner at Municipal Market Analytics; and Eric Kim, Senior Director for U.S. Public Finance Ratings at Fitch Ratings. Torsten Slok Matt Fabian Eric Kim 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
Jan 29 2026 Past Event Special Briefing: The Year Ahead for Cities Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Mayor Janet Cowell Fitzroy Lee Sarah Parker Nicholas Samuels Matthew Stitt State & Local Finance
News November 25, 2025 The $7,500 Self-Deportation Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter on how self-deportation decreases demand for housing and exerts downward pressure on rent growth Housing
Announcement October 17, 2025 Penn IUR and the Transportation Initiative at Penn Announce Today Our Public Sector Advisory Committee The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) and the Transportation Initiative at Penn (TRIP) announce today our public sector advisory committee. Urban Development
Podcasts September 30, 2025 Special Briefing on the Muni Debt Boom: Record Borrowing Amid Budget Strains 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 address the record-shattering boom in state and local borrowing even in the face of federal spending cuts and pressure on budgets. How long the boom will continue in the face of conflicting federal, state, and local priorities will be the big question for investors and governments over the coming year. Panelists include: Matt Fabian, President, Municipal Market Analytics; Fitzroy Lee, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Chief Economist, Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO); Vikram Rai, Portfolio Manager and Macro Trader, First New York and former Head of Municipal Markets Strategy at Wells Fargo; Sheila Weinberg, Founder and CEO, Truth in Accounting; Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody's Analytics. Matt Fabian Fitzroy Lee Vikram Rai Sheila Weinberg Mark Zandi State & Local Finance
Oct 03 2025 Past Event Philadelphia’s Green Transformation: From Research to Action Speakers:  Shane Jensen Matt Rader Anthony (Tony) Sorrentino Susan Wachter Charles Branas James Wright Urban Development
News September 12, 2025 Marketplace: The Effect of Falling Mortgage Rates Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter talks with Marketplace on what falling mortgage rates represent for the economy and potential homebuyers. Housing
News September 5, 2025 SEPTA Cuts Threaten Commutes and Local Economy Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Leslie Richards discusses the threats SEPTA cuts pose for vulnerable residents. Urban Development

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