Tom Murphy

Biography: Tom Murphy Senior Resident Fellow Canizero/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development – the Urban Land Institute, Washington Murphy has been a senior fellow with ULI for 12 years. During that time, he has authored several publications and regularly speaks about the challenges of urban revitalization - the design, financing, partnership building, strategic vision and leadership needed to succeed. Also, he has served on over 30 Advisory Service Panels in the US, Europe and Asia. Prior to his appointment as senior resident fellow, Murphy had served as ULI's Gulf Coast liaison, helping to coordinate with the leadership of New Orleans and the public to advance the implementation of rebuilding recommendations made by ULI's advisory services panel. In addition, he worked with the Louisiana state leadership, as well as with leadership in hurricane-impacted areas in Mississippi and Alabama to identify areas appropriate for ULI involvement. Prior to his service as the ULI Gulf Coast liaison, Murphy served three terms as the mayor of Pittsburgh, from January 1994 through December 2005. During that time, he initiated a public-private partnership strategy that leveraged more than $4.5 billion in economic development in Pittsburgh. Murphy led efforts to secure and oversee $1 billion in funding for the development of two professional sports facilities, and a new convention center that is the largest certified green building in the United States. He developed strategic partnerships to transform more than 1,000 acres of blighted, abandoned industrial properties into new commercial, residential, retail and public uses; and he oversaw the development of more than 25 miles of new riverfront trails and urban green space. He helped to build a partnership with the Universities that has successfully created an entrepreneurial and innovative economy largely replacing the traditional manufacturing economy. From 1979 through 1993, Murphy served eight terms in the Pennsylvania State General Assembly House of Representatives. He focused legislative activities on changing Western Pennsylvania's economy from industrial to entrepreneurial, and authored legislation requiring the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pension fund to invest in venture capital. In addition, he co-authored legislation that created the Ben Franklin Technology Partnership, which is dedicated to advancing Pennsylvania's focus on technology in the economy; and he authored legislation to encourage industrial land reuse and to transform abandoned rail right-of-ways into trails and green space. Murphy served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay from 1970 through 1972. He is a 1993 graduate of the New Mayors Program offered by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He holds a Master of Science degree in urban studies from Hunter College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from John Carroll University. He is an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects; President of Wild Waters Conservancy; a Board member of Mountain Lake Lodge and Conservancy; on the Board of Advisors for LOTUS, a housing for homeless organization and for POWER, Pennsylvania organization for women in recovery.