Eugénie L. Birch, the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Chair of Urban Research and Education at the University of Pennsylvania, has received the 2026 Sir Peter Hall Award for Lifetime Achievement in Planning History from the International Planning History Society. Considered the society’s highest honor, the biennial award recognizes scholars whose lifetime body of work has fundamentally advanced the field of planning history while demonstrating its enduring relevance to contemporary planning policy and practice.
Throughout her career, Dr. Birch has conducted extensive research on global urbanization with an emphasis on urban climate finance, sustainable urban development, and multilevel government in implementing global agreements. She has authored and edited numerous scholarly publications and books, including Women’s Health and the World’s Cities (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011). At Penn, Dr. Birch is co-director of the Institute for Urban Research, graduate group chair in city and regional planning in the Weitzman School of Design, and co-editor of the City in the 21st Century series from the University of Pennsylvania Press. She previously served 10 years as chair of the university’s department of city and regional planning.
Dr. Birch is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in urban planning from Columbia University in New York City.