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Future of Cities
2026 Archive

The Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities Conference is an annual multidisciplinary,  student-led, faculty-advised event hosted at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Founded in 2020, the conference aims to bring together urban innovators and experts from the public and private sectors to challenge and deepen the discourse around the trends, technologies, and policies transforming the future of our cities. 

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​This year’s conference theme, Reimagining Urban Futures, will focus on balancing both aspirational and attainable visions for cities amid a convergence of challenges in recent years, including housing affordability, climate change, and shifts in federal and local funding. We aim to create space for ambitious, even "pie-in-the-sky" thinking – visions of urban futures with sustainability, equity, joy, and resilience as core principles. At the same time, we’ll explore the tactical, grounded steps required to translate these visions into reality, such as how cities and municipalities can create the futures they boldly envision for their residents.​

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Our Sponsors

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Keynotes

9 - 9:55 am

Opening Keynote

9 - 9:55am

Closing Keynote

3:30- 4:25pm

Panels

10 - 10:50am

Building a Climate Resilient Future

11 - 11:50am

Sustaining Public Transit in a Changing Landscape

1:30 - 2:20pm

The Future of Housing: Radical Ideas, Real Strategies

Cities in Transformation: AI and Technology Across the Urban Value Chain

2:30 - 3:20pm

Fireside Chats

Financing City Projects Through Public-Private Partnerships

10 - 10:50am

11 - 11:50am

From Recovery to Resilience in Insurance Markets

Building Community, Reimagining Safety

1:30 - 2:20pm

Rethinking How We Build: Alternative Building Materials

2:30 - 3:20pm

Lightning Lectures

10 - 10:50am

Manufactured Housing 101

1:30 - 2:20pm

Blue Systems  Smart Mobility Platform Demo

2:30 - 3:20pm

Design with Time: Building Resilient Cities

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