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Welcome to Urban Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts & Sciences. It draws on faculty and resources across the university and the city to offer students a multi-faceted approach to the study of urban trends. More...

Alumni

Julia Hansen

Class of 2010

“What is the city but the people?” – William Shakespeare

2013 New York Trip

Take a look at photos of the Urban Advisory Board's annual New York trip, which took place Friday April 5th, 2013. Thanks to Jay Park (Econ/Urbs '15) for the photos, and thanks to everyone who helped make it a great trip!

Urban Studies 29th Annual Public Lecture - thanks to all who attended!

Carl H. Nightingale, Associate Professor of Transnational Studies and American Studies at the University of Buffalo, has delivered Urban Studies’ twenty-ninth annual lecture, entitled "How American Urban Segregation Outlived Apartheid, and Other Tales from a Global History of Divided Cities."

If you missed it, take a look at our Annual Lecture page for a recording of the lecture.

Urban Studies Class Uses Grant to Donate to Local Non-Profits

Professors Doug Bauer and Greg Goldman have been able to put theory into action in their URBS 404.601, Philanthropy and the City class. The students are using a foundation grant of $100,000 to give away real money to Philadelphia non-profits. Read this article from Generocity.org, and this article from the AP, to learn more about the process and its inspiring results!

Recent News

Paid Summer Internships--Wilson Center Urban Program

The Wilson Center’s Comparative Urban Studies Project is seeking two summer interns to work on a new project, “Urban Resilience Project: Building Cities Safe and Smart.” For students who may be interested, please check out the attached application. The internships are paid positions and run June-August 2013.
How Closing Schools Hurts Neighborhoods

Here’s on op-ed on what school closings really mean to neighborhoods, by Elaine Simon, Co-Director of the Urban Studies Program. She has studied and written about Philadelphia school reform for almost three decades and for the last six years taught a project-based learning course, “Schools and Community Development,” in collaboration with teachers at Penn and in West Philadelphia high schools.
Learning to Read the Contemporary City

Take a look at this article in Urban Omnibus - Learning to Read the Contemporary City - that discusses urban studies and specifically the International Honors Program. Its written by Andrew Wade, who taught Urban Planning for the IHP last fall. In his research, he places UPenn's Urban Studies Program among the first undergrad programs of its kind (early 70's) in the US!

Alumni Achievements

Student Adam Goodman's immigration article in the Boston Review

Adam Goodman, a student in the URBS Graduate Certificate Program and PhD student in History, wrote a short piece called "The Other Side of the Wall", about immigration reform as seen through the Migrant's eyes. Read it and let Adam know what you think.

Photo: Immigration protest at the U.S. Capitol, courtesy of Narith5
Paul Farber (URBS '05) Collaborates on New Book

Paul M. Farber (URBS '05) worked with Getty Publications on a book of historic photographs by Magnum photographer Leonard Freed, This Is the Day: The March on Washington, to commemorate the March’s upcoming 50th anniversary, and wrote the afterward for the book.