🌿🌎 Seattle: “Role Model City” Congrats to Mayor Bruce Harrell and the City of Seattle on completing its two-year engagement as the United States’ sole “Role Model City” in the United Nations' #GenerationRestoration Program. As global leaders gathered to advance urban ecosystem restoration, Seattle demonstrated how cities can harness #NatureBasedSolutions (NbS) to drive #climateresilience, social wellbeing, and ecological health. Penn IUR is proud that our collaborative research with United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), the report "From Grey to Green: Integrating Nature-Based Solutions into Urban Planning and Finance," contributed to this international effort. H/t to our Global Program Director Amanda Lloyd, who led this research. Seattle Parks and Recreation’s participation strengthened the global cohort in powerful and measurable ways, including: 🔹 A comprehensive study with UNEP and Penn IUR to embed nature-based solutions into municipal decision-making, financial frameworks, and long-term urban planning. 🔹 The expansion of a Green Seattle Partnership–inspired urban forest regeneration model with the City of Paris. 🔹 An emerging Global Canopy Tree Pact and new collaborations to create a North American Community of Practice for restoration-focused cities. 🔹 Contributions to UNEP’s flagship Beat the Heat initiative, advancing heat assessments, vulnerability mapping, and project pipelines to expand shade and canopy coverage. Seattle’s leadership shows what is possible when cities commit to ecological restoration at scale--essential infrastructure for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cities. Penn IUR commends Seattle, Mayor Harrell, Superintendent Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz, Esq., Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the global Generation Restoration network for advancing transformative models of urban sustainability. We look forward to continued collaboration as cities worldwide shift from grey to green. 🔗 Read From Grey to Green: Better Data to Finance Nature in Cities: https://lnkd.in/ga-VCFpP ▶️ Watch the From Grey to Green video: https://lnkd.in/g3-BDbdv 📰 Seattle's Office of the Mayor reports: https://lnkd.in/gGmsunf2 #PennIUR #UNEP #SustainableCities #UrbanInnovation
Penn Institute for Urban Research
Higher Education
Philadelphia, PA 5,513 followers
A research institute that informs decision making and policy on issues of sustainable urban growth and development
About us
The Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) is a university-wide body that informs urban decision-making and public policy on issues of sustainable urban growth and development based on multi-disciplinary research, instruction, and outreach. As the global population becomes increasingly urban, understanding cities is vital to informed decision-making and public policy at the local, national, and international levels. Affiliated with all 12 schools of the University of Pennsylvania and with the world of practice, Penn IUR fosters collaboration among scholars and policymakers across disciplines to address the needs of an increasingly urbanized society. By providing a forum for collaborative scholarship and instruction at Penn and beyond, Penn IUR stimulates research and engages with urban practitioners and policymakers to inform urban policy.
- Website
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https://penniur.upenn.edu/
External link for Penn Institute for Urban Research
- Industry
- Higher Education
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Philadelphia, PA
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2004
- Specialties
- urban research, urban climate finance, nature-based solutions, affordable housing, state and municiple finance, urban informality, urban development, rapid urbanization, anchor institutions, resilience, sustainable cities, and land use
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
210 South 34th Street
Meyerson Hall, G-12
Philadelphia, PA 19104, US
Employees at Penn Institute for Urban Research
Updates
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❔ What’s really behind falling rents in parts of the U.S.? In The Atlantic, Penn IUR Co-Director and Wharton Professor Susan Wachter offers context on claims linking mass self-deportations to falling rents. Wachter emphasizes that housing-market fundamentals (vs. demographic shocks) are driving the sharpest rent declines: “There is a plausible story that a decline in demand will lead to lower growth in rents. But the rent declines at this point are mostly in overbuilt cities in the South, where there’s a lag response in increasing demand.” Housing supply—not self-deportation—offers the clearest explanation for the rent declines observed in several Southern and West Coast metros. Wachter notes that these markets are experiencing the effects of rapid construction outpacing demand, producing temporary softness in rents. Assertions that self-deportations are driving nationwide affordability trends lack grounding in available data. Read the full article by Nick Miroff in The Atlantic: 🎁 https://lnkd.in/et_9cB8Z #HousingSupply #HousingAffordability #UrbanResearch #Deportations
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Did you know that as the world's population heads toward 75% urban by 2050, cities and regions - responsible for most global emissions and resource use - are also essential to achieving climate, biodiversity, and resilience targets? That’s why the UNEA-7 Cities & Regions Summit, an associated event of UNEA-7 and a recurring event since UNEA-4, convenes global city and regional leaders to accelerate local solutions with a global impact. 📅 Friday, December 5, 2025 | 09:30–13:00 & 14:30–18:00 (EAT) United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) HQ, Nairobi - Hybrid 💻 Join virtually - register: https://lnkd.in/d3Jh4cuz or ▶️ follow the YouTube livestream: https://lnkd.in/edtjBrCJ The Summit will feature two core sessions: 1️⃣ Environmental Governance 2️⃣ Overcoming Financial Barriers, with Eugenie Birch highlighting the work of the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance Be part of the global conversation shaping UNEA-7 and accelerating transformative environmental action from the local level up! #UNEA-7 #UNEP #Cities #ClimateAction #NatureAction #NbS
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The speed of urban growth is outpacing our capacity to plan. Better and more harmonized data will lead to better policies and informed decision-making.
In 1950, the world had 2.5 billion people, and only 20% lived in cities. Today, according to the new UN DESA World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report, we are 8.2 billion with 45% living in cities – more than double the urban share of 75 years ago. By 2050, two-thirds of all population growth will occur in cities. This rapid urbanization is dramatically reshaping the global map of megacities. My home city, São Paulo, once consistently among the world’s largest urban areas, has been displaced in the top 10. The current ranking is led by Jakarta, Dhaka, and Tokyo, with Cairo the only non-Asian city in the top 10. By mid-century, cities like Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, and Kuala Lumpur are projected to join the list. Why do people continue to move to cities? Because cities offer jobs, education, culture, connectivity, and the promise of a better life. Urban areas remain powerful magnets of opportunity. However, the report also makes it clear that the speed of growth is outpacing our capacity to plan. Megacities—and especially fast-growing medium-sized cities—face acute pressures: • Expanding slums and informal settlements • Deepening housing shortages • Strain on land, basic services, and infrastructure • Rising vulnerability to climate and economic shocks To respond to these challenges, we need better and harmonized data. UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) has been working closely with United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs—alongside other UN entities, the European Commission, and national statistical offices—to apply the degree of urbanization methodology. This methodology was used in compiling the World Urbanization Prospects report. The shared approach helps countries classify cities, towns, and rural areas consistently, enabling more accurate planning, stronger monitoring, and better-targeted policies for housing, land, and basic services. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/e_CBygXv
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⌛ Deadline Reminder: Apply by December 12 for the Penn IUR Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium (UURC) For Jay Arzu, MPA, AM, transportation has always meant more than getting from point A to point B. It’s been the foundation of opportunity and advocacy. Born and raised in the South Bronx, Jay began organizing as a teenager to protect the student MetroCard program, an effort that sparked his lifelong commitment to equitable transit and community engagement. Now a PhD candidate in City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Jay channels that same passion as an instructor for the Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium (UURC) housed at Penn IUR, mentoring students as they investigate the urban systems shaping our cities. Through the UURC, Penn undergraduates collaborate with faculty and doctoral mentors across campus to conduct original, urban-focused research while earning course credit and $2,000 in research support. Past projects have examined housing, transit, sustainability, and urban equity across disciplines. 📅 Applications due Friday, December 12 📧 Contact: jayarzu@upenn.edu | dpnegron@design.upenn.edu Do you know a promising Penn undergrad with an urban-themed project? All undergraduates are eligible! Help us continue to build the next generation of urban researchers. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/exBVBAa6 Wharton Undergraduates in Public Policy Wharton Undergraduate Finance Club Penn Arts & Sciences University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Penn Engineering #PennIUR #UURC #UrbanResearch #UrbanStudies #Mentorship
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📗 Wanted: Submissions supporting the urban climate agenda for the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy.
Researchers and city practitioners, the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy needs you. We are seeking innovative, thought-provoking, and informed original research and policy guidelines for our open-call issue, scheduled for publication in Spring 2027. Your submission can cover any aspect of the urban climate agenda which supports governmental policy to achieve resilient, equitable cities and a world where global heating is limited to 1.5°C. Share your ideas. Shape the agenda. Submit your abstracts by 30 January 2026: https://lnkd.in/gFQExufY
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🗺️ Interested in furthering your career with #UrbanSpatialAnalytics? Elizabeth Delmelle of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design invites you to a virtual open house on December 2. Register ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eD4KhKKH Fun fact: Penn’s Master of Urban Spatial Analytics (MUSA), founded by Penn IUR's Eugenie Birch & Susan Wachter, is the original urban analytics degree in the U.S.! The one-year graduate program fuses spatial data science, GIS, and urban policy to solve real city challenges. Designed for impact in government, nonprofits, private industry, and civic tech, you'll master skills like R/ R/Python, cloud geospatial computing, visualization, and communication--even if you’ve never coded before.
Missed our open house? No stress - we have a virtual event TONIGHT (Tuesday, December 2nd) for all Weitzman Programs. Attendees get application fee waiver! Register here: https://lnkd.in/ea_7zi2f
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📣 CPH Practice & Research Seminar with Dr. Megan Ryerson Penn IUR Faculty Fellow Dr. Megan S. Ryerson, UPS Foundation Chair of Transportation and Chair of City & Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design will speak at a Penn's Center for Public Health Seminar: 📅 Thu, Dec 4, 2025 | 12:00–1:00 PM EST 💻 Online 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/ehtzYq7F As founder of Penn’s Center for Safe Mobility and PI of a $6M NASA initiative, Dr. Ryerson is a national leader advancing safer, more resilient transportation systems. Her seminar will offer timely insights for anyone working at the intersection of mobility, safety, and public health. With more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, a distinguished record of mentoring Ph.D. graduates who now teach across the country, and recognition as Woman of the Year by the Women’s Transportation Seminar, Dr. Ryerson’s work continues to influence policy and practice at every scale. See you online? #PennIUR #TransportationPlanning #MobilitySafety #UrbanResearch #PublicHealth
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🌟 Supporting Future Resilience Leaders This October, Penn IUR’s Fellows in Urban Leadership traveled to New York City for a full-day, immersive exploration of how cities are responding to the climate crisis through innovative, equitable design and finance. Some of the ways our Fellows saw resilience in action: -A session with the Regional Plan Association on community resilience and climate justice -Walking tours of newly opened flood-resilient parks with Penn alum Laura Frances of ONE Architecture -Insider conversations with Goldman Sachs’ municipal finance team on how NYC is funding $1.5B in coastal protections. For many, the experience connected directly with their coursework, research, and long-term aspirations. 💬 “It was a full circle moment,” said Skyla Rimple, who studied Dutch climate infrastructure as a first-year student with Faculty Fellow Simon Richter 💬 “We saw how one project can meet environmental, recreational, and transportation goals,” added @Jeremy Morton 💬“The process is deeply interdisciplinary—from residents to public financiers,” noted Veronica Baladi. These powerful learning moments are made possible through donor support. This #GivingTuesday, we invite you to invest in the next generation of #urbanchangemakers by supporting the Fellows in Urban Leadership program. Your gift helps us provide transformative experiences like these, equipping students with the tools, connections, and perspective to build stronger, more resilient cities. 🎁 Support the Fellows program: https://lnkd.in/et67Zrvm 🔗 Learn more about the Fellows' NYC trip: https://lnkd.in/e7HMmpSV #GivingTuesday #UrbanLeadership #ClimateResilience #PennIUR #StudentImpact
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The verdict is in: Safe, stable housing --> lower medical costs
🏆 Housing Policy Debate's 2024 Paper of the Year Award, which recognizes the best paper published in Volume 34, goes to Kevin Brennan, Singumbe Muyeba, PhD, Kathryn Buggs, Alexis Henry, John Gettens & Parag S. Kunte for their article, “Exchanging Housing Dollars for Health Care Savings: The Impact of Housing First on Health Care Costs.” This paper makes an exceptional contribution to the Journal by shedding new light on the effects of the Housing First model on the utilization of public health services and, importantly, addressing the issue of the regression to the mean. 📄 Read the the paper, which is open access, here: https://lnkd.in/guwaeC-n Learn more about the award here: https://lnkd.in/gS9Bu2zx Congratulations to the awarded authors!