Urban Planning | Penn Today

Mapping smarter tree placement in Philadelphia and beyond

Graduate student Frank Chen provides insight into his project to find the best spots to plant street trees and optimize shade coverage for pedestrians in Philadelphia.

3 min. read

Philly’s first-in-the-nation experiment giving cash to struggling renters is working, researchers say

A report coauthored by Vincent Reina of the Weitzman School of Design suggests that a cash rental subsidy would be a valuable addition to existing support for low-income renters in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia transit cuts portend ‘mayhem’ for commutes and regional economy

Leslie Richards of the Weitzman School of Design says that SEPTA cuts will have a focused and intense impact on some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents with no other transportation options.

Lawsuit challenges SEPTA cuts over impact on minority and low-income riders

Erick Guerra of the Weitzman School of Design agrees that any cuts to public transportation disproportionately impact lower-income residents.

Phillies fans slowed but not deterred by SEPTA service cuts

Megan Ryerson of the Weitzman School of Design assesses the impact of the SEPTA cutbacks on riders.

Eugenie Birch honored with Regional Plan Association Above and Beyond Award

Eugenie Birch, Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Urban Research and Education in the Department of City and Regional Planning and co-director of Penn’s Institute for Urban Research, has been selected to receive the Above and Beyond Award from the Regional Plan Association (RPA) for her contributions to urban planning policy and longstanding service to the RPA.

How Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren agreed on a sweeping housing package

Vincent Reina of the Weitzman School of Design says that a new bipartisan bill broadly defines housing supply while referencing manufactured housing, market rate, and the rules around production.

Despite SEPTA’s budget cliff, Roosevelt Boulevard subway backers seek path to Northeast Philly extension

Jay Arzu, a Ph.D. candidate in the Weitzman School of Design, says that SEPTA’s current financial problems should not keep it from long-range planning.

Texas floods were not just natural disasters. They were policy failures

In an opinion essay, Dean Frederick Steiner of the Weitzman School of Design outlines five major reasons why recent Texas floods were largely predictable and preventable.

Exploring China’s rural landscapes up close

Now in its second year, the Weitzman School’s SEU-Penn Exchange Program partnered with Southeast University in Nanjing, China to examine the future of rural villages and their relationships to the cities through an immersive exchange program and symposium on the theme of “Innovative Rural-scape.”

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