Economic Development

West, Nicolas - Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Nicolas West
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Charlotte Kemp Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Charlotte Kemp
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Ryan Rodriguez Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Ryan Rodriguez
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Michael Shapiro Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Michael Shapiro
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Danielle Esan Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Danielle Esan
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Federico Ramírez Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Federico Ramírez
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Rachel Wang Headshot
Fellow in Urban Leadership Rachel Wang
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
News April 28, 2026 Bipartisan Push to Protect Taxpayers in GSE Privatization As Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac move closer to privatization, bipartisan lawmakers and Susan Wachter are converging on one key safeguard: codifying credit risk transfer protections to shield taxpayers from future mortgage losses. State & Local Finance
Article April 20, 2026 Penn IUR Fellows in Urban Leadership Explore Housing Policy in Washington, D.C. Penn IUR 2026 Fellows in Urban Leadership traveled to Washington, D.C. on March 27 for an intensive, day-long immersion focused on housing policy. Urban Development Housing
Research Paper April 16, 2026 The Economic and Social Benefits of The Wilmington Land Bank Conservancy Do land bank interventions actually translate into higher home values, or is their impact overstated? This analysis by Econsult Solutions and Penn IUR isolates the effect of proximity to Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank treated properties to determine whether reclaiming blight is measurably boosting Wilmington’s housing market. State & Local Finance
Announcement April 8, 2026 Penn IUR Honors Visionary Leadership in Cities at 21st Annual Urban Leadership Forum Penn IUR honored two distinguished leaders and outstanding students with the 2026 Nussdorf Urban Leaders Prize at the 21st Annual Urban Leadership Forum. Climate Change & Resilience State & Local Finance
May 15 2026 Past Event 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
Apr 11 2026 Past Event 2026 Annual Case Competition State & Local Finance
Article March 17, 2026 Mariaflavia Harari on Slum Upgrading and Urban Development Outcomes Dr. Mariaflavia (Nina) Harari studies at the intersection of urban economics, international development, and real estate, focusing on how institutions, land markets, and infrastructure shape the evolution of cities in emerging economies Urban Development
Apr 17 2026 Past Event Special Briefing: War, Inflation, and the Impact on the Economy and State and Local Budgets Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Mark Zandi Natalie Cohen Julia Coronado Kim Norton Brian Sigritz State & Local Finance
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
Feb 20 2026 Past Event Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities Conference: Reimagining Urban Futures Urban Development State & Local Finance
mayor janet cowell headshot
Advisory Board Member Mayor Janet Cowell
Mayor, Raleigh
State & Local Finance
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
Jan 28 2026 Past Event POSTPONED What Pandemic-Era Experiments Can Teach Us About the Future of Public Space Speakers:  Ariel Ben-Amos Jason Brody, PhD Josh Davidson Tya Winn Urban Development

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