Municipal Governance

Podcasts April 20, 2026 Special Briefing on Transportation Opportunities & Challenges in the New Federalism Affordability pressures, shifting federal priorities, and uncertainty around long-term funding have reshaped the transportation policy landscape in the U.S. For a discussion of how evolving federal-state-local relationships are redefining infrastructure investment, funding stability, and project delivery across the country, Penn IUR and the Volcker Alliance convened a panel of leading transportation, finance, and policy experts for “Special Briefing on Transportation Opportunities & Challenges in the New Federalism” on March 26, 2026.  Eryn Hurley 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
Apr 07 2026 Past Event Mayor Cherelle Parker on Public Safety & Education Speakers:  Cherelle Parker Urban Development
May 14 11:00 am 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 DiBiase Sean Dougherty State & Local Finance
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
Mar 13 2026 Past Event Building a New Research Agenda for the Transportation Sector Speakers:  Leslie Richards Megan Ryerson Carlos Braceras Randy Clarke Elizabeth Klein Russell McMurry Urban Development Rapid Urbanization + 1
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
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
Research Paper December 11, 2025 Surveillance or Safety? How Cities are Rewriting Tourism Cities are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative tool to enhance safety through predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and rapid response systems. At the same time, AI deployment raises pressing governance questions. Mauricio Rodas Eugénie L. Birch Luke Campo Urban Development
Dec 16 2025 Past Event Special Briefing on the Outlook for 2026: How States & Cities Will Adapt to Wrenching Change Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Matt Fabian Eric Kim Torsten Slok State & Local Finance
Research Paper October 30, 2025 Protecting Progress: Why Sustained Discipline is Critical for Pension Stability On September 19, 2025, Cherelle L. Parker, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, led a convening on Protecting Progress: Why Sustained Discipline is Critical for Pension Stability at the Wharton School in collaboration with Penn IUR and Penn's Office of Government and Community Affairs. State & Local Finance
Nov 20 2025 Past Event Special Briefing: AI in Government—More Efficiency but Fewer Workers? Speakers:  William Glasgall Susan Wachter Jon Hartley Megan Kilgore Howard Neukrug Leigh Palmer Thomas Sanchez State & Local Finance
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
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
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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, the former CEO and General Manager of SEPTA, and founder of the Transportation Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania (TRIP). Urban Development
Special Briefing on State Budgets: The Big Squeeze Speakers:  Susan Wachter William Glasgall State & Local Finance
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
Article March 26, 2025 Navigating Uncertainty in Federal Transportation Policy With significant policy reversals, staffing cuts, and the suspension of previously awarded federal funds, cities are being forced to reconsider how they plan, finance, and operate public transportation. State & Local Finance

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