Rodin unveils new Penn Urban Institute

Yesterday, the future of urban research at Penn became more certain with the official inauguration of the Penn Urban Institute.

The cross-disciplinary institute -- which has not yet been officially named -- will unite Penn's 12 schools into a cohesive effort for the study of urbanism through involvement in research, instruction and civic service.

"The emergence of a University-wide urban institute ... [shows] how Penn's identity and our academic mission are deeply linked to urbanism and [the] future of cities," University President Judith Rodin said in a speech at the event.

School of Design professor Eugenie Birch and Real Estate and Finance professor Susan Wachter will co-direct the new institute. An executive committee comprised of faculty from Penn's 12 schools and headed by Provost Robert Barchi will also help guide the institute.

With rapid population growth in urban centers everywhere, problems with spatial dispersion, inadequate housing and income inequalities have become increasingly important. And Philadelphia -- the nation's fifth largest city -- is seen as the perfect location for the new mission-driven institute.

The creation of the institute is seen as the apex of the University's decade-long attempts to bridge the divide between itself and the neighboring communities. The hope is that the institute will be a continuation of the positive revitalization that has been occurring throughout West Philadelphia, as illustrated by declining crime rates, improved public schools and strong commercial development throughout University City.

Now, Penn's commitment to urban problems will not only reach its surrounding neighbors in West Philadelphia, but will also expand to encompass urban concerns on the national and international levels.

"Today we hope Penn is viewed as a leader throughout the world in the field and practice of urbanism," Rodin said, "and we are driven to become the leader, internationally, in urbanism."

The creation of the institute is seen as one of many steps in a continual process to make community concerns part of the "institutional fabric of the University."

The institute plans to heavily utilize new technologies and methods like spatial analytics -- the use of mapping technologies in conjunction with statistical data -- to combat the ever-increasing and urgent problems that cities are facing.

During last month's meeting of the University Board of Trustees, Wachter and Birch spoke of the creation of new master's and doctoral degrees in spatial analytics. They also discussed other new academic projects that the institute will facilitate, including the hosting of symposia on various topics related to the city and the fostering of international research in the area.

The institute will not only promote new scholarship in urbanism, but will also be able to "put the scholarship in practice in this important area," Wachter said at the trustee meeting.

Rodin is optimistic about the future of the University, the surrounding community and urban centers everywhere.

"Just as we worked with our neighbors to transform West Philadelphia," Rodin said, "through this institute, we hope to create creative partnerships with urban planners, government officials, foundation leaders, urban developers and indeed all concerned citizens who are looking to transform their cities."

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