Professional Goals and Background

In the words of Edward Glaeser, "economists have never acquired the skills to study the built environment of the intricacies of individual neighborhoods." My studies have been diligently focused on urban economics and planning of the built environment. Some see the built environment as a series of land uses organized neatly throughout a city. I see things a little differently. I take notes from the greatest minds of urban geography, urban economics, and urban design to understand the landscape of a city can be tuned to perform in vastly different ways. Too often, the emerging built environment comes about haphazardly without the informed decision making that planners like myself are dedicated to bring to the process. Analytics, education, work shops, reading clubs, tours, and conferences are all important activities for which decision makers need be involved.

My continued education and professional development draws on a combination of peer reviewed academic journals, critical observation of the built environment, my application of development codes, and my own research. My various professional experiences in architecture, public service, design, customer service, and public interaction inform my work. I value informed decisions which has empassioned my education of analytical approaches and a multidisciplinary studies. I am drawn to innovation in public service, seeking new policy tools, empowering risk takers, and working collaboratively across disciplines.