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Professor of practice Leslie Richards on innovative transit and city planning
Leslie Richards.

Leslie Richards, professor of practice in the Weitzman School.

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Professor of practice Leslie Richards on innovative transit and city planning

Once described as a “battleship turner” by Philadelphia Magazine, Weitzman professor of practice Leslie Richards served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and subsequently led the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where she oversaw a $2 billion budget and a network that connects over five million residents in Greater Philadelphia. Having earned a master of regional planning degree from Penn in 1993, she was the first planner and

From the Weitzman School of Design

2 min. read

At the Venice Biennale, a convergence of innovations in materials, structures, and landscapes
Robert Gerard Pietrusko’a installation ”A Satellite Symphony.”

Robert Gerard Pietrusko collaborated on the installation ”A Satellite Symphony,” which explores how satellites frame how we understand the Earth itself; the viewing structure is constructed from trees from the Veneto region downed by storms.

(Image: Gaia Cambiaggi / Studio Campo)

At the Venice Biennale, a convergence of innovations in materials, structures, and landscapes

Several Weitzman School of Design faculty and students will exhibit at the Venice Biennale’s 19th International Architecture Exhibition.

From the Weitzman School of Design

3 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.

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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

Listening to the city
Aki Di Sandro standing on a sidewalk in downtown Philadelphia.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how different cities sound," says Aki Di Sandro, a student in the Weitzman School’s Master of Urban Spatial Analytics program.

(Image: Courtesy of Weitzman News)

Listening to the city

In a Spring 2025 City & Regional Planning course at Penn’s Weitzman School, students are exploring the connections between urban sounds and neighborhood identity.

From the Weitzman School of Design

2 min. read

Turning bicycles into an engineering study tool
Penn students riding bikes over a bridge in Amsterdam.

Students explored Amsterdam with a bike tour and even a bicycle scavenger hunt.

(Image: Elizabeth Feeney)

Turning bicycles into an engineering study tool

Penn students explore the Netherlands’ cycling infrastructure and learn about bicycle design principles in Dustyn Roberts’ popular Penn Global Seminar.

5 min. read