Previous Events

Node Date

Deteriorating Affordability: An Update on America’s Rental Housing 2024

Date: Friday, March 7, 2025
The number of cost-burdened renter households has reached a new record high, further deepening the affordability challenge that accelerated during the pandemic. Whitney Airgood-Obrycki will discuss persistent disparities in who experiences cost burdens and the urgent need for effective policies and subsidies to tackle these challenges.

Learning from Zurich’s Co-Ops

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
While Zurich is a center of global finance it also has a century-old commitment to public benefit and nonprofit housing, implemented through a cooperative model of resource sharing. While the Zurich model cannot be fully transferred to cities in the US, there are lessons to be learned from its long-standing commitment to nonspeculation within a for-profit real estate market and for the role of design in that work.

Capital Market Integration and Growth Across the United States

Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Meyer Fellow and PhD candidate Leonardo D’Amico will discuss research he did with Maxim Alekseev on whether greater financial integration in the decades after World War II helped spur population and economic growth in the American South and West, and the relative decline of Northern financial centers.

Mexico Conference 2025

Date: Friday, February 21, 2025 to Sunday, February 23, 2025
This student-led conference from the Harvard Kennedy School is dedicated to exploring Mexico’s vibrant and complex political, social, economic, and cultural landscape. The Mexico Conference brings together experts, policymakers, academics, and leaders from various sectors to engage in thoughtful discussions about the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the country.

Racialized Geographies of Housing Financialization

Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Join us for a talk with Elora Raymond, Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech, about what happens when housing is treated as a financial asset rather than a social good.

The Intersection of Public Health and Public Safety: Implications for Homelessness

Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian will explore how public health and public safety intersect to address the complex challenges of homelessness. Drawing from his experience as a prosecutor, legislator, and law enforcement leader, Sheriff Koutoujian will discuss innovative, data-driven programs that prioritize continuity of care, access to essential services, and evidence-based solutions.

Information Session on Fellowships and Research Grants

Date: Friday, February 14, 2025
Join us for an overview of fellowships and research grants for Harvard students, including several community service summer fellowships that support Graduate School of Design and Kennedy School students working at public and private entities in the US.