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Urban Institute Elevating the debate on social and economic policy. Our scholars have a distinguished track record of turning evidence into solutions.

Founded in 1968 to understand the problems facing America’s cities and assess the programs of the War on Poverty, the Urban Institute brings decades of objective analysis and expertise to policy debates — in city halls and state houses, Congress and the White House, and emerging democracies around the world. Today, our research portfolio ranges from the social safety net to health and tax policies; the well-being of families and neighborhoods; and trends in work, earnings, and wealth building.

Many mission-driven organizations are exploring AI solutions to do more with limited resources, but evaluating AI tools ...
10/19/2026

Many mission-driven organizations are exploring AI solutions to do more with limited resources, but evaluating AI tools requires expertise that many teams don't have in-house. The Urban Institute AI Studio helps bridge that gap through rigorous, policy-informed evaluations that give leaders actionable insights they can trust.

This new blog post shares three examples of how the team has designed evaluations to assess AI applications relevant to the public sector, including investing in the AI readiness of public data, evaluating existing tools for policy applications, and vetting custom-built AI tools.

Learn more.

Understanding where an AI solution might be falling short and implementing improvements is a core focus of the Urban Institute AI Studio.

What makes a community affordable for families? New analysis using the Upward Mobility Data Dashboard shows that in 99% ...
10/16/2026

What makes a community affordable for families? New analysis using the Upward Mobility Data Dashboard shows that in 99% of US counties, the average wage isn't enough to meet the basic needs of a single parent with two children.

Urban experts explore how wages and living costs have changed over time and why quality jobs are key to making communities affordable in this new Urban Wire article.

The average wage isn’t enough to cover basic needs for a single parent and two children in 99 percent of counties.

Join the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Initiative on 10/29 @ 1 p.m. ET for a virtual workshop exploring how local le...
10/15/2026

Join the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Initiative on 10/29 @ 1 p.m. ET for a virtual workshop exploring how local leaders can foster dignity and belonging in their communities—and why these conditions are essential to advancing upward mobility.

Register now for this important conversation.

Join the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Initiative for a virtual workshop exploring how local leaders can foster dignity and belonging in their communities—and why these conditions are essential to advancing upward mobility.

Introducing the Urban Institute AI Studio: a new resource helping governments and mission-driven organizations build, st...
10/15/2026

Introducing the Urban Institute AI Studio: a new resource helping governments and mission-driven organizations build, strengthen, and evaluate responsible AI solutions to better serve their communities.

By combining policy expertise, technical skills, and evaluation, the Urban Institute AI Studio helps organizations navigate AI challenges and maximize public impact.

Learn more.

What We Offer Body BUILDAI tools customized to your needsOur policy and technical experts work with you to design, develop, test, and responsibly deploy AI agents and tools. Body STRENGTHENBuild your team’s AI capacityWe help organizations lay a strong foundation for responsible AI deployment, thr...

How widespread were government funding disruptions among nonprofits in 2025?New research from Urban Institute’s Center o...
10/14/2026

How widespread were government funding disruptions among nonprofits in 2025?

New research from Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy finds that 49% of nonprofits that received government funding experienced at least one disruption to that funding. Based on a nationally representative survey that captures organizations ranging from small local nonprofits to large institutions, the analysis offers a uniquely comprehensive view of the sector's experience.

Learn more.

Research Reports, Briefs, and Fact SheetsWorkforce and Community Consequences of Government Funding Disruptions in 2025A report on the workforce and communit…

In a new study, Urban Institute researchers examined how heightened immigration enforcement shapes the lives of adults a...
10/14/2026

In a new study, Urban Institute researchers examined how heightened immigration enforcement shapes the lives of adults and children, including impacts on economic stability, education, health, daily routines, and experiences with legal assistance and preparedness.

The three reports explore:

• How economic and health challenges have affected mothers in an era of heightened immigration enforcement
• How heightened immigration enforcement has impacted children's education
• How Chicago and Charlotte supported families navigating these challenges

These findings highlight the realities many families face and identify strategies communities have used to help children and parents.

Learn more.

Immigrant families are navigating profound challenges to their economic stability, health, well-being, and children’s education as the fear of federal enforc…

Join the Urban Institute on 10/28 @ 2 p.m. ET for the inaugural session of the Early Wealth Building Integration Series:...
10/13/2026

Join the Urban Institute on 10/28 @ 2 p.m. ET for the inaugural session of the Early Wealth Building Integration Series: Advancing Best Practices for 530A Integration.

Drawing on research from the Center for Social Development and implementation experience from statewide and local programs, speakers will explore how enrollment pathways affect participation, administrative burden, family engagement, and more.

Register now for this timely conversation.

Automatic enrollment has long been considered a best practice in the early wealth-building field, helping increase participation, expand access, and reduce d…

As communities across the Florida Panhandle and central Gulf Coast assess storm damage from Hurricane Isaias, the focus ...
10/13/2026

As communities across the Florida Panhandle and central Gulf Coast assess storm damage from Hurricane Isaias, the focus will likely be on flooded homes, downed trees, damaged infrastructure, and power outages. But past hurricanes have shown that disaster recovery is also a public health challenge, with less visible health-related outcomes emerging in the days, weeks, and even years after a storm.

Urban research highlights three health challenges leaders should prioritize during recovery from Isaias and in preparation for future hurricanes. Learn more in this new Urban Wire article.

The experiences of Gulf Coast residents suggest that health outcomes are shaped by much more than access to medical care.

Tribes and other Indigenous communities are disproportionately exposed to hazards such as hurricanes, wildfires, and flo...
10/12/2026

Tribes and other Indigenous communities are disproportionately exposed to hazards such as hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding. While many have adopted strategies to mitigate disaster impacts, funding availability remains a barrier to recovery and resilience efforts.

Using Urban’s data tool, economic development practitioners can explore their communities’ histories of major disasters and identify strategies for pursuing disaster resilience funding from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Learn more.

This tool can help tribal and Indigenous communities leverage disaster data to strategically pursue opportunities for federal disaster recovery funding.

Findings show that exposure to heat, airborne pollutants, and excessive noise can harm K–12 academic performance. In a n...
10/09/2026

Findings show that exposure to heat, airborne pollutants, and excessive noise can harm K–12 academic performance. In a new analysis, researchers estimate how mitigating these exposures could affect lifetime earnings outcomes and find the benefits could be substantial, particularly when multiplied across cohorts of students and affected schools.

Urban Institute analysis of five causal research studies suggests that exposure to environmental hazards can shape student outcomes long beyond childhood.

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