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February 2025 | Philadelphia
2025 CONFERENCE THEME: BUILDING FOR BELONGING
The Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities Conference is an annual multidisciplinary, student-led, faculty-advised event hosted at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Founded in 2020, the conference aims to bring together urban innovators and experts from the public and private sectors to challenge and deepen the discourse around the trends, technologies, and policies transforming the future of our cities.
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​This year’s conference theme is Building for Belonging and will investigate how cities are using innovative approaches at multiple scales to foster economic growth and create vibrant and prosperous environments for all. This conference is meant to focus on both the seen and unseen infrastructure, planning processes, and systems in our cities. Examples of panel topics and demonstrations include but are not limited to: urban green space, transit oriented development, energy efficient building codes, affordable housing, accessible healthcare, new financing structures, workforce development, and emerging technologies.
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If you are interested in partnering, nominating a speaker, or demoing a product for the conference, email us at whartonfuturecities@gmail.com
MEET YOUR 2025 CO-CHAIRS
Co-Chair
Aarati Cohly
Master in Business Administration 2025​
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Aarati Cohly is currently pursuing her MBA at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Before Wharton, she spent 5 years working at the NYC Mayor's Office, focusing on civic engagement, education, and language equity. As Chief of Staff to the Office of Engagement, Aarati transformed NYC government to engage and mobilize New Yorkers effectively and inclusively, especially youth and communities of color. She also directed a $15 million media and outreach campaign for Ranked Choice Voting and managed special projects at NYC Census 2020, including contests with the MoMA, Seamless, and Lyft, as well as a community outreach project involving over 100 organizations. Aarati is a 2017-18 Fulbright Scholar and graduated with honors from NYU in 2016 with a dual BA in International Relations and Environmental Studies.
Co-Chair
Gianna Paglia
Master in City Planning 2025
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As a Master’s of City and Regional Planning candidate, Gianna is focusing on equitable economic development and the clean energy transition. Before starting her MCP, Gianna led industry initiatives at New York City Economic Development Corporation including programs in the green economy, offshore wind, tech, life sciences and economic mobility. Prior to NYCEDC, she supported the city’s COVID response and managed the “Housing for Health” program at NYC’s public hospital system. Like her co-chair Aarati, Gianna graduated with Honors from NYU with a dual BA in Public Policy and Environmental Studies.