National Impact Conferences

 

Urban Anchors in the 21st Century: A Commitment to Place, Growth and Community

Sponsored by Penn Institute for Urban Research, The Great Cities Institute, University of Illinois, Chicago, Bank of America and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, this conference will provide a focal point to launch ongoing study and dialogue around anchor institutions and their performance in metropolitan areas. The conference objectives are to heighten understanding of the roles of anchor institutions in the urban arena; increase dialogue about anchor institutions among the key actors in urban growth and development; isolate areas for additional research and “best practices” exchanges among anchors and their home cities; and to develop an action agenda for engaging anchor institutions as critical partners in urban policy and practice.

New Downtowns: A Conference on the Future of Urban Centers

On April 21, 2006, the Penn Institute for Urban Research and Princeton's Policy Research Institute for the Region hosted a conference on the evolution of downtowns. The conference focused on the changing economics or downtowns, the changing politics of downtowns, and what influence these factors should have on the design of these areas.

Poor, Young, Black & Male: A Case for National Action?

Penn IUR, in conjunction with Professor Elijah Anderson and the Penn Sociology Department, hosted "Poor, Young, Black & Male: A Case for National Action?" on April 20-21, 2006. This conference addressed the worsening situation of the poor, young, black man as a first step toward identifying solutions.

Rebuilding Urban Places After Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina

On February 2-3, 2006, the Penn Institute for Urban Research hosted "Rebuilding Urban Places After Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina." This interactive symposium brought together scholars and experts from around the country to discuss issues related to rebuilding the urban communities along the Gulf Coast.

The Mayor's Institute on City Design

On November 16-18, 2005, Penn IUR hosted the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD). The three-day conference is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Architectural Foundation, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The Franklin Conference

In 2004, Penn IUR sponsored the Franklin Conference Schools Forum 2004.

Penn Praxis and the Graduate School of Education's Center for School Study Councils have developed the Franklin Conference, a model civic engagement format that stimulates meaningful public discourse across a broad spectrum of urban issues.

This program explores a proposed urban project, pairing expert opinion, often from university scholars, with citizen deliberation, through conferences, seminars, newspaper articles and other methods. It develops and publicizes guiding principles and other recommendations for the project's execution and makes them available to the public and to those charged with executing the project.

 

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