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How has COVID-19 changed ‘superstar cities’?
the philadelphia city skyline looking north on a sunny day

How has COVID-19 changed ‘superstar cities’?

A new analysis found that overall mobility in large U.S. cities has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, and some are also experiencing changing segregation patterns, with potential implications that could last well beyond the pandemic.

Erica K. Brockmeier

Does the federal housing policy do enough to stop evictions?
Governing

Does the federal housing policy do enough to stop evictions?

Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design discusses the reliance on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to solve all housing affordability problems. “We’re relying on LIHTC as our only housing production program to solve all our housing affordability problems and that’s a tall order for any program,” he says.

Testing how navigable SEPTA is, with glasses that see what riders see
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.

Vincent Reina on fair housing in the U.S., in the city, and in pandemic times
Aerial view of a city block of houses in West Philly.

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.

From Penn IUR

Philly Council changes mixed-income housing bonus rules for Southwest Center City
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.”

‘Things have come undone’: At home with the millions of people who owe billions of dollars during COVID
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.

Working at the intersection of data science and public policy
an aerial view of city streets at night
  • Q&A

    • 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.

    Erica K. Brockmeier

    Use it or lose it: Tenant aid effort nears a federal cutoff
    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.

    How can cities become healthier, greener, and more equitable in the future?
    View of Philadelphia skyline from the Schuylkill River at dusk.

    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.

    Erica K. Brockmeier