News from

Penn Institute for Urban Research

Reset All Filters
36 Results
Why aren’t America’s national roadways working?
Traffic from New Jersey to Philadelphia.

Professor of city and regional planning Erick Guerra recently published a book exploring the economic and societal impacts of American highways. He explains some of the pitfalls associated with an ever-expansive highway system, arguing that spending more on highways might not be the solution to the country’s transportation issues.

(Image: Courtesy of Getty / peeterv)

Why aren’t America’s national roadways working?

Penn urban planner Erick Guerra’s new book, “Overbuilt,” argues that additional spending on building more highways might not be the solution to the country’s transportation issues. In a Q&A, Guerra shares his insights.

4 min. read

Penn launches Richards Transportation Initiative to drive smarter, more accessible mobility solutions

Penn launches Richards Transportation Initiative to drive smarter, more accessible mobility solutions

The Richards Transportation Initiative at Penn (R-TRIP) is a new hub for research, innovation, and real-world solutions in transportation. Housed in the Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR). The Initiative is led by Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Leslie Richards, former CEO of PennDOT and SEPTA and now Professor of Practice at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and lead faculty adviser Megan Ryerson, UPS Foundation Professor and chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the Weitzman School.

Penn receives $10M to strengthen urban research locally and globally
Aerial view of Penn and Philadelphia.

The gift to Penn’s Institute for Urban Research will support a co-director position and a postdoctoral fellowship, enhancing the Institute’s ability to address timely urban opportunities and challenges. 

nocred

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.

2 min. read

Penn IUR enters its third decade
From left: Genie Birch, Judith Rodin, and Susan Wachter

Housed in Meyerson Hall, the Penn Institute for Urban Research (IUR) is a campus-wide enterprise that draws from the collective wisdom of experts around the Penn and beyond to inform urban development and actions on public policy to support the sustainable growth of metros. Now entering its third decade, President Emerita Judith Rodin and Penn IUR co-directors Eugénie Birch and Susan Wachter reflect on the Institute’s history and impact.

nocred

Penn IUR enters its third decade

The Penn Institute for Urban Research enters its second decade. President emerita Judith Rodin and co-directors Eugénie Birch and Susan Wachter reflect on the Institute’s history and impact.

10 min. read

Expert Voices 2025: Access to sustainable and affordable housing
Tiny homes under construction in Baltimore.

New development of affordable tiny houses in East Baltimore.

(Image: iStock/Robbie Becklund)

Expert Voices 2025: Access to sustainable and affordable housing

Twelve leading voices in housing policy, urban planning, and finance were asked to share their perspectives on the challenge of affordable housing in the country.

From Penn IUR

Turning the desert into an oasis
People gather around a large map placed on the floor.

In Senegal, the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life. With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises, Ph.D. candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar, that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt.

(Image: Courtesy of Chaowu Li)

Turning the desert into an oasis

Students from the Weitzman School of Design journeyed to Senegal to help with a massive ecological and infrastructural greening effort as part of their coursework. The Dakar Greenbelt aims to combat desertification and promote sustainable urban growth.
Penn IUR, the United Nations Environment Programme unveil new framework to address gap in urban nature finance
Farmers in rural Peru.

(Image: Courtesy of UN Environment Programme)

Penn IUR, the United Nations Environment Programme unveil new framework to address gap in urban nature finance

The Penn Institute for Urban Research has released a report for the United Nations Environment Programme Cities Unit’s State of Finance for Nature in Cities, From Grey to Green: Better data to finance nature in cities, during COP16 Colombia.

From Penn IUR

Penn students present work to help rebuild Ukrainian city
Students from Penn and Eugenie Birch stand with members of the US Department of State and the Ukrainian Ambassador.

Weitzman students at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. with Oksana Markarova (Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States), Dorothy McAuliffe (U.S. Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Department of State), John Thompson (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Department of State) and Eugenie Birch (co-director, Penn IUR).

(Image: Courtesy of the U.S. Department of State)

Penn students present work to help rebuild Ukrainian city

With the two-year anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine looming, city planners begin to strategize solutions to rebuild, sustainably.