Domestic | Penn IUR

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

Oct 16 2025 Past Event Special Briefing: Strategies for Closing the US Infrastructure Gap Speakers: William Glasgall Susan Wachter Leslie Richards Camila Fonseca Sarmiento Geoffrey Buswick Fatima Yousofi Hughey Newsome State & Local Finance

News August 26, 2025 Transit cuts ripple far beyond commutes Faculty Fellow Megan Ryerson on SEPTA service reduction impacts Urban Development

News August 25, 2025 U.S. home sales rose 2% in July — but affordability remains near historic lows Penn IUR's Susan Wachter tells Marketplace: there’s only a “slight — but I have to underline slight — improvement.” Housing

News August 15, 2025 Eugenie L. Birch to receive the 2025 Above and Beyond Award from the Regional Plan Association RPA will recognize Dr. Birch for her many contributions to urban planning and policy here and abroad in October 2025. Urban Development

Sep 11 2025 Past Event Special Briefing on the Muni Debt Boom: Record Borrowing Amid Budget Strains Speakers: William Glasgall Susan Wachter Matt Fabian Fitzroy Lee Vikram Rai Sheila Weinberg Mark Zandi State & Local Finance

Faculty Fellow Leslie Richards

Professor of Practice, City & Regional Planning, Weitzman School of Design Founder and Director, Transportation Initiative at Penn

Leslie S. Richards is a Penn IUR Faculty Fellow and the former CEO and General Manager of SEPTA. Urban Development

Nov 10 2025 Past Event Overbuilt: Book Talk and Conversation with Erick Guerra Speakers: Erick Guerra Urban Development

News July 11, 2025 Gen Z Homeowners Suffer Property Tax Shock Housing

News July 10, 2025 Transit Funding Crisis Unfolds in Pennsylvania Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Leslie Richards is featured in The American Prospect . 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

Announcement May 13, 2025 Applications Now Open: Become a 2025–2026 Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership The Penn IUR Fellows in Urban Leadership Program is now accepting applications for the 2025–2026 academic year. Urban Development

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

May 08 2025 Past Event Special Briefing on State Budgets: The Big Squeeze Speakers: William Glasgall Susan Wachter Emily S. Brock Shelby Kerns Vikram Rai Jonathan Womer Teryn Zmuda State & Local Finance

Special Briefing on State Budgets: The Big Squeeze Speakers: Susan Wachter William Glasgall State & Local Finance

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