Design | Penn Today

aerial view of suburban housing with LA skyline in background

Vincent Reina on housing, barriers, and what we need from housing policy

New challenges to the housing market and its policies are “unprecedented,” say the Penn Design professor. He outlines potential improvements to the country’s largest affordable rental housing programs and the possibility of retrofitting housing to help reduce utility cost burdens.

A bushfire burning in Queensland Australia

Urban planning for biodiversity after bushfires

The Weitzman School’s Richard Weller visited Sydney for a two-week intensive on critical urban challenges and converting a parkland into an incubator for wildlife.

Why removing the melted scaffolding from Notre Dame is the key to its preservation

Frank Matero of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design said removing the Cathedral of Notre Dame’s melted scaffolding is key to protecting the cathedral’s masonry vaults. “Vault collapse would destabilize the entire structure and significantly compromise its overall integrity in every way,” he said.

Visualizing future cities with Zhongjie Lin

A new three-year project called called “Spatial Visions Connecting China and the West: A Centennial Review and New Perspectives on Future Urban Environments” will address global issues like climate change and migration will begin at Penn and travel to Beijing.

Weiss/Manfredi’s ‘Loops and Lenses’ concept wins La Brea Tar Pits redesign commission

Marion Weiss of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and her collaborator Michael Manfredi have developed a redesign for the La Brea Tar Pits and its surrounding park.

a map of the united states with colored dots showing different types of land usage

‘An Atlas for the Green New Deal’

The McHarg Center releases a new collection of maps and datascapes capturing the spatial consequences of climate change in support of a coordinated national response.

Appreciating the need for—and the beauty of—the urban forest

Sonja Dümpelmann of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design was interviewed about the history of street trees and urban forestry. “This isn’t scientifically proven,” she said. “But I think if people care about trees, they also tend to care about people.”

group of students working on laptops around a table

An Inca ceremonial center, recreated in a digital landscape

Students use computer graphic technologies to bring historic sites to life as part of a summer research program and fall semester course that unites anthropology and computer science.

New UPenn scholarship aims to diversify urban planning

Lisa Servon of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about the new Moelis Fellows Program, which aims to diversify the field of urban planning by providing financial support to grad students. “This has really enabled us to go after some the best students and get them to come to Penn,” she said.

Five events to watch for in December

On the agenda: a PHILADANCO Christmas performance at Annenberg, a card-making opportunity at Penn Libraries, and a goodbye to Lightbox Film Center.

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