Urban Planning | Penn Today

An ambassador with big plans

Originally from Louisiana, Trevian Ambroise, a graduate student ambassador for Penn’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design, chose Philadelphia as the place to study economic development techniques to become a well-rounded planner.

Comcast’s Sports Complex plan for South Philly would make our city less livable

In an Op-Ed, Vukan R. Vuchic of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that Philadelphia should make transit more accessible rather than striving to accommodate more cars.

Philadelphia’s Market Street East searches for growth and renewal — with or without a new Sixers arena

Akira Drake Rodriguez, Rashida Ng, and Dominic Vitiello of the Weitzman School of Design say there should be a more robust and inclusive conversation about the future of Philadelphia’s Market Street East.

Students from Penn and Eugenie Birch stand with members of the US Department of State and the Ukrainian Ambassador.

Penn students present work to help rebuild Ukrainian city

With the two-year anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine looming, city planners begin to strategize solutions to rebuild, sustainably.

Bus Revolution would bring frequent bus service to 1 million SEPTA riders

In an Op-Ed, graduate student Jonathan Zisk of the Weitzman School of Design says that SEPTA should green-light the Bus Revolution project and allow the rollout of transformative bus service across the Philadelphia region.

In a city defined by history, Chinatown’s champions fear new arena for 76ers

Domenic Vitiello of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design comments on sports projects that have not revitalized downtowns or added substantially to cities’ tax bases.

How will Philadelphia finance climate change?

In an Op-Ed, Eugenie Birch of the Weitzman School of Design, William Burke-White of Penn Carey Law, and Mauricio Rodas of the Penn Institute for Urban Research write that Philadelphia will need to blend public and private climate financing to adapt to ever-growing climate risks.

Weitzman’s Sarah Lopez on migration, architectural history, ethnography, and urban and spatial justice

The architectural historian and migration scholar is part of the Department of Historic Preservation as well as the Department of City & Regional Planning, focusing on both the material and social connections of labor between Mexico and the U.S.

Who, What, Why

Who, What, Why: Lifelong learner Bernadette Butler

Bernadette Butler, a student in the School of Arts & Sciences, leapt into her studies later than most, but with just as much eagerness to learn.

The Biden administration is trying to make it easier to convert offices to apartments post-pandemic

In a Q&A, Vincent Reina of the Weitzman School of Design discusses a new White House initiative to incentivize commercial-to-residential conversion projects, especially as the office market continues to struggle.

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