Bringing the field to the academy and the academy to the field

Penn is widely recognized as an innovator in forging meaningful university community connections. The Institute seeks to build on this reputation by engaging the University and the public around issues of urban challenges and opportunities in order to inform public discourse and influence urban policy.

Penn IUR's public engagement efforts center around the following four programs: National Impact Conferences, Expert Events, Public Interest Series, and the Annual Urban Leadership Forum.

National Impact Conferences

Each Penn IUR National Impact Conference aims to address a critical issue or challenge currently facing urban centers. Conferences are widely accessible to the Penn Community and the public. Each year, Penn IUR hosts at least one National Impact Conference. Recent conference topics include anchor institutions and sustainability. For more information about past conferences, please click here.

Expert Events

Penn IUR Expert Events convene innovative scholars and leaders of practice to highlight and discuss specific challenges that face urban centers. Each symposium brings to light critical areas of urban research and practice, setting the direction of global urban-focused scholarship and producing multi-year research agendas to address these challenges.

Public Interest Series

Penn IUR conducts its Public Interest Series, which includes lectures, seminars and panel
discussions designed to highlight timely topics in urban research and best practices of relevance to Philadelphia, the nation, and the global community. Penn IUR sponsors many sessions a year. The selection of speakers and topics is based on consultation with the Institute's Advisory Board and Executive Committee and on in-house knowledge of current issues. If you have ideas about speakers or topics for our Public Interest Series, please email saraem@exchange.upenn.edu.

Annual Urban Leadership Forum

Each year, the Penn IUR Urban Leadership Award recognizes exemplary thinkers in urban affairs who have demonstrated the vision necessary to revitalize urban centers, respond to urban crises, and champion sustainable development in urban areas across the United States and around the globe.   Past honorees include Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League; Mayor Manny Diaz, City of Miami, FL; Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., City of Charleston, SC; and former Maryland Governor, Parris Glendening, Smart Growth Leadership Institute.

 

For information about Penn IUR's public engagement programs, e-mail penniur@pobox.upenn.edu.

For information on upcoming and past events resulting from these programs, please visit the Calendar of Events and the Event Archive.