Pennachetti takes post at U of T

Former city manager Joe Pennachetti, Toronto’s top public servant until his retirement last spring, is taking his urban expertise to the University of Toronto.

Pennachetti will have two parttime roles: senior fellow at the Global Cities Institute and executive adviser on global city strategy at the World Council on City Data.

Pennachetti was a vocal supporter and participant in a U of T initiative that last year created a host of indicators with set criteria that can help cities compare how they’re doing with others globally on issues such as sustainability, bike lanes or low-income housing.

“I am so excited about this initiative because it finally pulls it all together,” Pennachetti told U of T News. “With this forum you can literally convene a conference and have something happening within weeks or months, and not years. Once the data is vetted by experts, once you do the first review, you are off to the races.”