Sustainability

Research Paper October 14, 2025 Enabling Environment: Current Conditions for Subnational Access to International Finance in Latin America Read the latest report from the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance, developed with CAF, to explore potential Latin American countries to pilot the Green Cities Guarantee Fund. Eugénie L. Birch Mauricio Rodas Delfina Vildosola Luke Campo Climate Change & Resilience
Oct 30 2025 Past Event City on the Brink: Environmental Movements in Mumbai Climate Change & Resilience Rapid Urbanization
Article September 30, 2025 SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance in NYC During Climate Week NYC 2025, the SDSN Global Commission pressed on with its agenda to enable subnational actors to mobilize and deploy resilient, low-carbon infrastructure through climate finance. Eugénie L. Birch Mauricio Rodas Amanda Lloyd Delfina Vildosola Climate Change & Resilience
Announcement September 22, 2025 Penn receives $10M to strengthen urban research locally and globally The funds will support the Institute for Urban Research’s advancement of research, education, and policy solutions for cities.  Urban Development Anchor Institutions
Visiting Scholar Yanlin Pan
Co-Founder, Beijing Shuinong Landscape Design Co., Ltd
Urban Development
Fellow in Urban Leadership Angela Ye
Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership
Urban Development
Staff Kimberly Noronha
Post-Doctoral Fellow Penn IUR, City & Regional Planning, Weitzman School of Design
Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development
Article May 22, 2025 Doctoral Symposium Celebrates New Urban Research at Penn The Penn Institute for Urban Research celebrated the university’s urban scholars at the 18th Annual Urban Doctoral Symposium & Poster session, highlighting the dissertation work of three newly minted urban PhDs. Urban Development
News May 7, 2025 Supercool, Penn IUR Spotlight Mayors Driving Global Urban Climate Finance A partnership with Supercool, a leading climate solutions podcast, will highlight mayors who are innovating how cities finance sustainable development in the face of climate change. Climate Change & Resilience
Research Paper April 23, 2025 Integrating Urban and Subnational Priorities into Country Platforms: Strengthening Global Commitments Climate Change & Resilience State & Local Finance
Publication April 16, 2025 Penn IUR Joins Global Leaders in Cape Town for Urban Ecosystem Restoration Workshop Penn IUR participated as a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) partner in the Generation Restoration global workshop for urban nature-based solutions (NbS) held in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2025. Climate Change & Resilience
News April 10, 2025 Penn IUR Celebrates 20 Years of Global Urban Leadership at Annual Forum The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) will host the 20th Annual Urban Leadership Forum, a milestone event honoring visionary global leaders who have shaped today’s cities and have lessons for tomorrow's cities, on Friday, April 25.  Urban Development
Apr 25 2025 Past Event 20th Annual Urban Leadership Forum: Urban Leadership for the 21st Century Speakers:  Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr Patrick Harker Enrique Peñalosa Urban Development
Apr 14 2025 Past Event Special Briefing | Mayors under Stress: Financing Local Development around the World Speakers:  Steve Adler Stephanie Miner Nasiphi Moya Jaime Pumarejo Heins Eugénie L. Birch William Glasgall State & Local Finance
michael mann on upenn campus
Faculty Fellow Michael Mann
Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action, School of Arts and Sciences Presidential Distinguished Professor; Director, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media
Climate Change & Resilience
Apr 24 2025 Past Event Opportunities & Challenges of Climate Action Planning in Indian Cities: A Case of Mumbai City Speakers:  Lubaina Rangwala Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development
Article December 11, 2024 2024 Highlights and Season's Greetings As we wind down the year, we reflect on Penn IUR’s many activities and accomplishments in 2024 as well as the year ahead--our 20th! Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development + 2
Cover of Urban Sustainable Development
Book November 14, 2024 Urban Sustainable Development: Governance, Finance, and Politics Urban Sustainable Development: Governance, Finance, and Politics addresses the critical challenges of promoting sustainable growth in rapidly expanding cities. Eugénie L. Birch Mauricio Rodas Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development + 1
Jan 23 2025 Past Event The City in the 21st Century: Celebrating the Reflective Practitioner featuring Enrique Peñalosa Londoño Speakers:  Enrique Peñalosa Manuel A. Diaz Richard Freeland Judith Rodin Eleanor Sharpe Climate Change & Resilience Urban Development + 1
Research Paper November 7, 2024 The Green Cities Guarantee Fund: Unlocking Access to Urban Climate Finance The SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance proposes a Green Cities Guarantee Fund (GCGF) as an important tool to increase the flow of public and private capital into subnational climate-responsive projects. This report details the case for the GCGF, offers a roadmap for operationalizing the fund, and makes suggestions for its initial market pilot in Latin America. Mauricio Rodas Eugénie L. Birch Luke Campo Climate Change & Resilience

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Dennis Culhane headshot b&w
Urban Link Celebrating 20 Years of Urban Research | Dennis Culhane
Mayor Anne Hidalgo speaking in Paris
Urban Link SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance Marks Year of Progress
Andrew Melnik, Lauren Sorkin, Jaime Pumarejo at Urban Leadership Award Ceremony
Urban Link Celebrating 2024 Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize Winners for Resilience