4.20
Urban Planning
Vincent Reina on fair housing in the U.S., in the city, and in pandemic times
Vincent Reina on fair housing in the U.S., in the city, and in pandemic times
The expert in fair housing and urban planning discusses how cities can address low-income housing policy, neighborhood change, and community and economic development, and how the pandemic has made inequities even more visible.
Working at the intersection of data science and public policy
Working at the intersection of data science and public policy
Ken Steif’s new book, “Public Policy Analytics: Code & Context for Data Science in Government,” available online and in print, provides guidance for how governments and policymakers can use data and algorithms to solve complex service-delivery problems.
How can cities become healthier, greener, and more equitable in the future?
How can cities become healthier, greener, and more equitable in the future?
In a year marked by COVID-19, renewed calls for racial justice, a contentious presidential election, and an active wildfire and hurricane season, Penn experts share what’s needed to make urban areas more resilient to future crises.
At the intersection of water, equity, and climate change
At the intersection of water, equity, and climate change
The Water Center at Penn is collaborating to help guide community decisions to build capacity in water infrastructure.
‘Perspectives on Fair Housing’ looks back on more than 50 years of landmark legislation
‘Perspectives on Fair Housing’ looks back on more than 50 years of landmark legislation
A new Penn Press book featuring experts from law, education, urban studies, and social policy presents fair housing as one of the foremost issues facing the U.S. today.
Housing initiative fuels cooperation between cities during pandemic
Housing initiative fuels cooperation between cities during pandemic
Vincent Reina and Amy Castro Baker are working with the U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, through the Housing Initiative at Penn to design a housing assistance plan both during the pandemic and after.
Safely reengaging with nightlife and supporting the creative economy
Safely reengaging with nightlife and supporting the creative economy
PennPraxis researchers are collaborating on the Global Nighttime Recovery Plan, which provides best practices, real-world examples, and frameworks for safe and inclusive nightlife.
A conversation about ‘Akon City’ and speculative urbanization
A conversation about ‘Akon City’ and speculative urbanization
Christopher Marcinkoski of the Weitzman School of Design unpacks—through the lens of speculative urbanization—the self-described ‘futuristic’ city to be built in Senegal, led by musician and philanthropist Akon.
Improving the quality of life in cities
The Gordon Fellowship program, currently in its second year, provides urban studies students with an opportunity to find summer internships that connect theory with practice.
Design travels to South Carolina to plan more protective urban coastlines
Design travels to South Carolina to plan more protective urban coastlines
A Weitzman School team is working with the city of Charleston on an urban seawall plan that combines natural elements with structural systems that respond to the local conditions of the city’s shoreline.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Testing how navigable SEPTA is, with glasses that see what riders see
Megan Ryerson of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design is leading an experiment that is using high-tech glasses to assess the navigability of Philadelphia’s public transit system. “I think of it as epidemiology for navigation,” she said.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Philly Council changes mixed-income housing bonus rules for Southwest Center City
Vincent Reina and grad student Camille Boggan of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about a recent amendment to a zoning bill that would exempt developers in the 19146 zip code, a rapidly gentrifying area, from the option to pay into Philadelphia’s Housing Trust Fund instead of offering affordable units in new buildings. “Removing money from the Housing Trust Fund is concerning,” said Boggan. “A lot of homeowners rely on that for home repairs.”
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People.com
‘Things have come undone’: At home with the millions of people who owe billions of dollars during COVID
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about the pandemic’s impact on renters in the U.S. “Households are showing extreme signs of economic distress both through rent owed, but also through other forms of debt that they've extended themselves,” he said.
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The New York Times
Use it or lose it: Tenant aid effort nears a federal cutoff
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design found that in some cities more than half of tenants did not qualify for rental assistance programs due to a lack of cooperation from their landlords. “We’ve consistently created programs where owners have ultimate veto power over whether a tenant can access the housing assistance that they’ve applied for and need,” he said.
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The New York Times
If restaurants go, what happens to cities?
A study by Jessie Handbury of the Wharton School documented how younger and more educated segments of the population began moving back into the downtowns of large U.S. cities from the suburbs. “A distinct and persistent feature in downtowns is their high density of restaurants,” she said. “It’s the feature that attracts people to downtowns—especially the young and college educated.”
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
I Love Thy Hood aims to solve Philly’s litter crisis with bright orange trash cans
Dan Hopkins of the School of Arts & Sciences co-led a 2018 study that found that fewer trash cans on city streets led to more littering.
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