With the world’s population exploding – 2050 will see the addition of some 2 billion inhabitants, primarily in cities in low and middle income countries – decision-makers are pressed to meet basic infrastructural needs (transportation, water and sanitation, public space, electricity, social service facilities and others) while responding to such large global issues as climate change. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed additional weaknesses in national and subnational infrastructure. No global estimate of urban infrastructure needs exists. However, the G-20’s infrastructure hub illustrates the gaps by country and region. Examples of the current and needed investment by 2040 reveal significant gaps: Brazil $1.2 trillion, $India 526 billion, Nigeria $221 billion. This course will review the history, theory, and current practice of financing with special attention to urban places. It will examine the challenges of the planning and financing projects, explore innovation and best practices in the field and suggest needed regulatory and governance reforms, as well as new and disruptive financial tools for cities. Student research undertaken in the course will contribute to the “Cities Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Financing Initiative (C2IFI)” under the direction of Penn IUR and in collaboration with Perry World House and the Kleinman Center. C2IFI is an important project being incubated at the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (https://www.citiesclimatefinance.org/), the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and others.

Climate change, aging infrastructure, pollution, and institutional barriers are all contributing to urban water management crises around the globe. This course examines the systems and policies that comprise urban water, while looking for integrative, flexible solutions. First, we review water system fundamentals, ensuring everyone has a basic understanding of hydrology and traditional infrastructure. Next, we examine key challenges, concepts, and arguments in water management today. Then, we develop solutions, emphasizing integrated water resource management, demand-side management strategies, water portfolios, and decentralized systems. Through the course, you apply the lessons learned from readings, lectures, and class discussions in one city that you select. Final projects are published on urbanwateratlas.com.