Assistant Professor of Urban Design

Position Description

We seek a candidate with a strong design-led practice and/or research agenda in urban design, with demonstrated ability to shape the physical form and experience of cities across scales. We welcome candidates who are engaged in practice and/or research that advances urban design theory and practice through work on the built environment, design guidelines, and spatial strategies that engage with contemporary planning challenges.

We are particularly interested in those whose work connects urban design principles to critical planning issues, including but not limited to climate-responsive and sustainable design, urbanism for health and well-being, urban conservation, post-pandemic spatial adaptation, green infrastructure and urban forestry, digital urbanism/smart cities, and participatory or community-engaged design. A clear design methodology and portfolio of built, speculative, or research-driven work is highly valued.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate-level urban design studios and a graduate-level urban design course. We especially welcome candidates who can also teach a community planning studio. We value candidates who have demonstrated experience in promoting student learning in a studio environment and in research projects aimed at creating sustainable urban spaces and the built environment, and who can mentor students in visualization, representation, and design thinking that integrates research into applied design projects.

We invite applicants from diverse academic backgrounds to apply, including but not limited to urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, or related fields. Candidates with interdisciplinary training that integrates planning, policy, and design are especially encouraged to apply.

The position requires teaching, advising, scholarly activities, and service to the profession, community, the department, college, and university. This faculty member will contribute to instruction and research in the areas of specialization and curriculum development for the department’s accredited undergraduate and master’s programs in planning. We are especially interested in candidates who will thrive in an inclusive environment and who can contribute to our department’s diversity through their teaching, scholarship, and/or service to the institution.

We seek candidates who will further the department’s commitment to diversifying the urban planning profession.

• A master's degree in urban design, architecture, landscape architecture or closely-related design discipline, with demonstrated ability to apply design within planning or urban contexts.
• Demonstrated expertise in urban design evidenced through a portfolio of design work, built projects, or research-driven design practice, with engagement in one or more of the research areas mentioned above.
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence, particularly in studio-based or project-based learning, and contributions to curricular development.

• Ph.D. in urban planning and/or related fields with a strong focus on urban design (ABD will be considered, but the degree must be conferred by the start date of the position).
• Experience in teaching urban design studios, and potential for teaching a range of courses in the curriculum.
• Evidence of scholarly, creative, or professional work in urban design, including publications, built work, competitions, or funded research
• Insights into mentoring & advising students, especially first-generation and students from historically underrepresented groups.