Urban Sustainability Laboratory - Wilson Center

“Today’s urban challenge is universal. We must begin by recognizing that success in terms of making the city desirable requires dexterity, flexibility and pragmatism.”

In times of urban unrest, the story of Toronto’s development can be an excellent reminder of why diversity is needed to foster healthy and thriving urban communities.

Opportunity with Dignity: Lessons from Multiculturalism in Toronto Toronto is widely praised as one of the world’s most successful examples of urban multiculturalism. With just under half of the city’s population having been born abroad, Toronto ranks second only to Miami among immigrant gateway cities. Immigrants continue to arrive seeking the city’s promise...

This Sunday, February 9th our research team will present our work on urban regeneration at the World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi

Using evidence-based case studies, our presenters will focus on urban regeneration as a tool to promote local economic development, address regional imbalances, advance social equity, tackle environmental challenges and safeguard cultural heritage sites.

Check out our Events Page for more details or click the link below to read about the event--

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/site-event-innovative-partnerships-and-financing-urban-regeneration

This year's World Urban Forum will take place in Abu Dhabi,
February 8-13th.
Check out to get in on the conversation, and don't forget to support the Wilson Center at our networking event on February 9th!

"...to promote the continuing prosperity of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, and to ensure dialogue and a common sense of purpose across economic sectors and cultural groups, a metropolitan strategy – involving multiple orders of government and a range of policy spheres – is essential. " Check out this great feature story:

Managing diversity and change in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area - Municipal World Above: Two San Francisco Icons: the mist from the hills and the Golden Gate Bridge. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a visitor would not feel they are in the country that elected Donald Trump president. In this city region, … [...]

Mike Forster, Wilson Center COO, and Chae Kwang Lee, Korea Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) CEO, signed an agreement in a ceremony at the Wilson Center on August 16, 2018, to launch a joint research initiative on urban revitalization in the U.S. and Korea.

Representatives from Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MoLIT), HUG and the Korean Embassy joined with urban and finance experts from Ginnie Mae, the Wilson Center’s Urban Sustainability Laboratory, George Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania. The meeting marked the third year of Wilson Center-HUG collaboration and research on innovative policies and practice to advance sustainable and inclusive urban development, affordable housing, and residential stability in a rapidly changing global economy. Upcoming research will explore case studies of urban regeneration projects, detailing the partnerships and financing tools that contribute to success. Research findings will be presented in 2019 at policy seminars in Washington, DC and Seoul.

A very informative blog post followed up our last film screening-Rush Hour. Check it out and see comments from the filmmaker and other transportation experts!

Rush Hour: Three Commutes, Three Stories “The idea to make this film came from a very personal place,” said filmmaker Luciana Kaplan at a recent Wilson Center screening of her documentary Rush Hour, recalling how a woman who worked for [...]

Professor Hilary Silver, Gregory Squires, and Clarence Stone created a more comprehensive summary, which related to the symposium on “Bottom-Up Politics”on April 12th has been posted on the Urban Affairs Forum. check out this great piece here if you want to know more:

Urban Gathering Addresses Bottom-Up Politics By Hilary Silver, Gregory Squires, and Clarence Stone | Partisan polarization and gridlock at the federal level have effectively obstructed the path to positive solutions to the everyday problems o…

The Wilson Center and IHC Global were honored to host UN-Habitat’s new Executive Director, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, to exchange ideas with urban stakeholders and share her vision for realizing UN-Habitat’s mission to create inclusive and sustainable cities. Read more:

An afternoon with Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif The sixth-floor board room of The Woodrow Wilson Center was buzzing with impatient chatter. The crowd pulsed with energy, as people edged past each other on the way to and from the buffet table, ex…

The Wilson Center’s Urban Sustainability Laboratory, together with the Metropolitan Policy Center of the School of Public Affairs at American University and The University Seminar on Bottom-up Politics at George Washington University, hosted a symposium on “Bottom-Up Politics” on April 12th. Below is an event summary, which includes panelists’ examples, ideas and advice on bottom-up politics and community development. Read more:

Event Review: Bottom Up Politics On April 12, 2018, The Wilson Center’s Urban Sustainability Laboratory, together with the Metropolitan Policy Center of the School of Public Affairs at American…

"Financing Affordable Rental Housing: Defining Success" by Bessy M. Kong and Derek Hsiang

As rent burdens increase, existing affordable housing ages, and neighborhoods gentrify and citizens compete for prime real estate, the challenges facing the development of affordable housing across the United States continue growing. This report presents affordable housing development process in the United States through five unique study cases: Chatham Square Apartments in (VA), Collins Park in (FL), Skyline Village in (CA), Pond View Village in (MA), and , (NY). For each specific case, authors analyze the circumstances that led to the development of the project, usage of financial incentives, and positioning of different players (among them public housing authorities, non-profit housing developers, and private for-profit developers) in taking advantage of the available tools in making such projects succeed.

Check the full report on the link below.

Financing Affordable Rental Housing: Defining Success Five Case Studies By Bessy M. Kong and Derek Hsiang The challenges facing the development of affordable housing across the United States are growing as rent burdens…

The Wilson Center’s Women in Public Service Project and Urban Sustainability Laboratory, and the Association of Women in International Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT DC) are organizing a conversation with three nation’s leading mayors to discuss their role fostering urban growth with equity. Leading this discussion will be Mayor Megan Barry, Mayor of Nashville (Tennessee), Mayor Catherine Pugh, Mayor of Baltimore (Maryland), and Mayor Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland (California).

What economic development strategies are mayors employing to make their cities more livable and prosperous for all their citizens? How can cities meet the challenges of economic development and equip an urban workforce with the employment skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow? What leadership role do mayors play in promoting export opportunities for their businesses and attracting investment into their cities? What role can innovative partnerships play in education and job creation? Finally, what role does women’s leadership play in pursuing innovative solutions to these challenges?

Join us at the Wilson Center, on Wednesday, October 18, from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

Economic Development in Our Nation’s Cities: A Conversation on Growing Jobs through Investment, Education, and International Trade Please join the Wilson Center’s Women in Public Service Project and Urban Sustainability Laboratory and the Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT) for a conversation with three of our nation’s leading mayors to discuss their role fostering urban growth with equity, moderated by Dr. Blair...

The Wilson Center in Washington DC: Book panel discussion with Professor Willow Lung-Amam. Fellow scholars discuss her latest book, "Trespassers?: Asian Americans and the Battle for Suburbia."