This March marks a notable milestone for Penn IUR: the publication of the 50th book in its series with Penn Press, The City in the 21st Century. Inaugurated in 2006, the collaboration has grown to become “the cornerstone of the Press’s urban studies list,” and the Press’s “highest profile venue for books on contemporary urban policy,” according to Robert Lockhart, Senior Editor, Penn Press.
The 50 volumes cover a wide array of topics and cities, from informal politics in Accra to the role of immigration in revitalizing American cities to several edited volumes on urban issues of global importance, such as affordable housing, informality, downtown development, and climate adaptation. Among the books that have sold the most, are those in Penn IUR's signature series by urban leaders such as Michael Nutter, former mayor of Philadelphia; Manny Diaz, former mayor of Miami; John Timoney, former chief of police in New Orleans, Miami, and Philadelphia, and others.
The series began nearly 20 years ago when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and prompted a university-wide conversation with Penn experts about responding to Katrina and preventing future disasters. At the request of Penn’s Provost at the time, Ronald Daniels, Penn IUR Co-Directors, Eugenie L. Birch and Susan M. Wachter, convened a symposium on the topic and then published Rebuilding Urban Places After Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina to gather insights and research by more than two dozen contributors.
“The City in the 21st Century Series,” says Beth A. Winkelstein, Interim Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, “exemplifies our core university mission: bringing together innovative research, across a wide range of interdisciplinary areas, to make a tangible impact on global challenges. We are very proud that, for more than fifteen years, the series has been shaping urban policy and planning around the world.”
While the series has included several edited volumes that emerged from Penn IUR conferences, including Growing Greener Cities, Global Urbanization, and Women’s Health and the World’s Cities, it has since grown into a curated list of books that chronicle urban policy and practice in the 21st century. Penn IUR’s longstanding focus on topics such as housing and urban finance resulted in edited volumes such as Public Pensions and City Solvency and Perspectives on Fair Housing, engaging Penn IUR’s faculty fellows and network of affiliated scholars.
“There is a mutually beneficial relationship between the book series and Penn IUR’s programming and research. One naturally informs the other, ensuring that key topics are addressed both with the timeliness of convenings and the longevity that books provide,” says Wachter.
The series’ concrete policy-oriented approach is one of the factors that makes it stand out, Lockhart says, adding that Birch and Wachter are also able to identify cutting edge topics and scholars, “because they’re experts in the field and they have extensive networks.”
“We have had the pleasure of seeing the series grow under the guidance of Penn Press editors and the editorial board who have supported our suggestions for publishing work by a range of authors across disciplines, from the freshly minted PhD to senior scholars to distinguished practitioners, all contributing new knowledge to our field,” says Birch.
In more recent years, the series has added more international authors and topics. China Urbanizing, Shareholder Cities: Land Transformations Along Urban Corridors in India, Urban Planning in a World of Informal Politics, and the forthcoming Master Plans and Encroachments: The Architecture of Informality in Islamabad give readers a perspective on urban challenges in Asia and Africa.
“Penn Press couldn't be prouder to publish the C21 series. Penn UR is a global leader in understanding the complex, evolving dynamics of cities, and by publishing the scholarly results of Penn IUR research, Penn Press brings Penn IUR's signature intellectual vitality to readers around the world,” says Mary Francis, Director, Penn Press.
The series has resulted in more than $1 million in revenue for Penn Press, which is especially meaningful in a time when book publishing faces new challenges in reaching audiences. Lockhart says that not only are the ever-changing algorithms and audiences of social media platforms a challenge, but so too was the pandemic, which made it hard to host in-person book events that drive sales. That said, hybrid book events like the ones that Penn IUR regularly hosts for new releases in the book series, have expanded the audience for book launches.
“We learned through the pandemic to implement new technologies and increase readership,” says Lockhart. But Lockhart is still “a big fan of face-to-face” connection to drive interest in books. He is heading to the Urban Affairs Conference in Nashville next month with a stack of The City in the 21st Century books, ready to share 50 titles that academics can consider for their courses.