As an urban strategist and professor, I have committed my career to strengthening cities by marrying transport options with the built environment. I inspire residents, elected officials, and civil servants to envision a world where data-driven decisions and innovative transport practices thrive. Engaging with broad range of stakeholders (including mayors, political appointees, representatives from federal agencies and front line staff), I am often asked to speak to city councils, industry groups and other bodies who govern public spaces, including streets. My former position as a Sr. Advisor at the U.S. Department of State and current as Professor of Environmental Design afford me opportunities to have impact at scale: advising on city policy to spur transport reform in ways that enhance the quality of design and public realm. I’ve received extensive training to translate knowledge to action strategies to catalyze change to address the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. I encourage leaders to prioritize select innovations, have a clear vision for why they are pursuing a given action and to instill a lasting culture of change. My research has been awarded a three-year post as a visiting professor of “Cycling in Changing Urban Regions,” national awards from the American Planning Association, and two Fulbright appointments.
keywords
Land use-transportation planning & policy Travel behavior, including cycling Planning for accessibility and sustainable transport infrastructure, Healthy communities, Information and communication technology
ENVD 1040 - Studio 1: Introduction to Sustainable Planning and Urban Design
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2024
Explores concepts and strategies related to urban planning and design. Students collaboratively develop a design solution to a small-scale problem within an urban fabric using basic skills of analysis and design iteration. Course is part of a co-requisite sequence: ENVD 1040, Studio 1: Introduction to Sustainable Planning and Urban Design, an 8-week class which is taken in the second half of the first semester. ENVD 1030, Studio 1: Introduction to Landscape Architecture, taken during the first 8-weeks of the semester, and ENVD 1012, Technology 2: Visual Communications, a 16-week class that is taught alongside the two 8-week studios.
ENVD 1052 - Design and Communication 1
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2018
Using both lectures and drawing exercises, this class extends understandings of the representational conventions used by the design professions through its introduction to the possibilities offered by emerging digital techniques for the depiction of designed artifacts and environments, allowing students to extend and enhance their understandings of advanced practices for design visualization, representation and communication. Recommended corequisites: ENVD 1004 and ENVD 2001.
ENVD 1140 - Studio 2: Fundamentals of Planning and Urban Design
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2023
Through a small-scale urban planning and design project, students explore solutions to challenges in dynamic urban systems. Builds on knowledge and skills gained in the introductory studios to explore the human and environmental dimensions of intertwined systems within the built environment.
ENVD 3100 - ENVD Interdisciplinary Design Studio
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2026
Explores a sequence of investigations that lead to the development of design concepts for critical evaluation and discussion. Students analyze intermediate to advanced design practices that are common to the disciplines of architecture, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and product design through an interdisciplinary design project.
ENVD 3122 - Research Issues and Methods in Design and Planning
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2018
Explores topics of current interest in planning. Looks at the development and social consequences of the neighborhood movement, forms of municipal and regional governments, regional settlement patterns, and new communities. Introduces selected methods from the social sciences used by planners and urban designers. Recommended corequisite: ENVD 3100.
ENVD 4043 - Urban Transportation Planning
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2026
Our charge: With roughly two-thirds of the global population expected to live in urban areas by 2030, the sustainability of the infrastructure required to serve those residents will become paramount. For decades, using the term �infrastructure� conjures up boring images of water sanitation projects, bridges, and roads�domains left mostly to civil engineers and urban planners. But this landscape is quickly changing. Advancements in technology and an imperative for climate resilience are prompting a new generation of urban infrastructure�all aimed to allow residents to access the goods and services they demand on a daily basis�in ways that support the sustainability of the planet.
ENVD 4361 - Topics in Environmental Design: Social Factors
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2019
Addresses variable topics in the relationship of human experience and behavior to the built environment, e.g., social research methods in environmental design. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
ENVD 4363 - Topics in Environmental Design: Physical Factors
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2018 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2025
Includes such topics as appropriate technology, public policy and natural hazards, organization of the designing and building process, and physical elements of urban development. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
ENVD 4979 - Honors Thesis
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2026
Working with an advisor, students prepare, complete, and defend a research-based honors thesis project, in an area of Environmental Design. May be repeated up to 3 total credit hours.
FYSM 1000 - First Year Seminar
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2020
Provide first year students with an immersive experience in an interdisciplinary topic that addresses current issues including social, technical and global topics. Taught by faculty from across campus, the course provides students with an opportunity to interact in small classes, have project based learning experiences and gain valuable communication skills. Seminar style classes focused on discussion and projects.
PLAN 3005 - Process and Practice
Primary Instructor
-
Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2025
Introduces the regulatory and legal structures surrounding sustainable planning, design, and development. Covers issues of environmental policy, property rights, zoning, and building codes and laws. Includes work on professional development in the field of planning and design.
PLAN 4100 - Capstone in Sustainable Planning and Urban Design
Primary Instructor
-
Spring 2021
Applies advanced concepts in comprehensive planning, plan-making, and plan implementation for communities. Capstone experience provides an opportunity for students to engage with real-world challenges, working closely with communities to address complex issues. The project integrates both qualitative and quantitative skills, focusing on solving social, environmental, and ecological problems while emphasizing sustainable, impactful planning solutions for community development and resilience.
