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Department of Urban & Regional Planning
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
Saunders Hall 107
2424 Maile Way
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Telephone: (808) 956-7381
Facsimile: (808) 956-6870
Email: idurp@hawaii.edu

 

 

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FACULTY AND AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

The faculty represents a range of backgrounds, training, experience, and interests. Included are members who have had extensive practical as well as academic experience in a variety of geographical areas and among different cultures. Almost all of the faculty have worked overseas at one time or another in their careers. Most have worked closely with government agencies, some as staff members, as well as at the community level. Most are called on to serve in advisory capacities to governmental agencies, legislative bodies and community groups. All have served in a consulting capacity on planning projects. All are involved in ongoing research, usually at an applied level, and in publishing research findings and conclusions.

Urban & Regional Planning Faculty  

Makena Coffman

Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 2007, University of Hawaii at Manoa)
(808) 956-2890
email: makenaka@hawaii.edu

Interests: Environmental economics and planning, energy and climate change policy, resource management, general equilibrium modeling

 Makena Coffman

Ashok Das

Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 2008, University of California at Los Angeles )
(808) 956-4265
email: ashokdas@hawaii.edu

Interests:  Urban planning and poverty issues in Southeast and South Asia, such as community participation and empowerment; slum upgrading and low-income housing; community-managed microfinance; decentralization; role of civil society in urban development; and local learning from disasters

Priyam Das

Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 2009, University of California at Los Angeles)
(808) 956-5367
email: priyam@hawaii.edu

Interests: Urban development, urban environmental services and governance in South Asia, design and planning of the built environment

Tom Dinell
Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning
(MPA, University of Michigan, 1950)
(808) 734-8102
email: dinell@hawaii.edu

Interests: Land use planning, complete streets, affordable housing, planning ethics

Michael Douglass
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 1982, UCLA)
(808) 956-6866
email: michaeld@hawaii.edu

Interests: International and local development, regional and rural development planning in Asia, spatial planning theory, and community-based environment management in Asia

 Michael Douglass

Peter Flachsbart
Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 1971, Northwestern)
(808) 956-8684
email: flachsba@hawaii.edu

Interests: Planning methods and models, environmental planning, energy, land use planning, and urban transportation planning

 Peter Flachsbart

Dolores Foley
Associate Professor and Chair of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D., 1989, University of Southern California)
(808) 956-2780
email: dolores@hawaii.edu

Interests: Community Planning, social policy, citizen participation and community development

 Dolores Foley

Karl E. Kim
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 1987, MIT)
(808) 956-6865
email: karlk@hawaii.edu

Interests: Planning theory, planning methods, infrastructure planning, and alternative tourism planning

 Karl Kim

Reginald Y. Kwok
Professor of Asian Studies, and Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 1973, Columbia)
(808) 956-6867
email: rkwok@hawaii.edu

Interests: Political economy of Chinese development and urbanization, globalization in East Asia, urban economic and spatial development, and cultural impact on urban forms.

 Reg Kwok

G. Kem Lowry
Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 1976, Hawai'i)
(808) 956-6868
email: lowry@hawaii.edu

Interests: Alternative dispute resolution, coastal management, planning theory, and community-level planning

 Kem Lowry

Luciano Minerbi
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, AICP, AAIA
(Dott. Arch, 1966, Milano; MUP 1969, Washington)
(808) 956-6869
email: luciano@hawaii.edu

Interests: Comparative urbanism, settlement planning, environmental planning, urban design, community development, planning with indigenous people, and Pacific island planning

 Luciano Minerbi

Andrew Rumbach
Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 2011, Cornell University)
(808) 956-6868
email:rumbach@hawaii.edu

Interests: Urbanization and environmental risk, natural hazards and global climate change, geographies of risk and resilience in cities, urban development in the Global South, planning history

 

James Spencer
Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning and Political Science
(Ph.D. 2002, UCLA)
(808) 956-8835
email: jhs@hawaii.edu

Interests: Political economy and regional development, urban labor markets, environmental management, community development, urban services

 Jim Spencer

Danielle Spirandelli
Assistant Professor of Urban & Regional Planning & SeaGrant Affiliate
(ABD, University of Washington)
(808) 956-6866
email: danieles@hawaii.edu

Interests: Coupled urban-ecosystems coastal environments; coastal ecosystem services; patterns of urban development & wastewater infrastructure; Community planning for integrated water management; Uncertainty Analysis

Karen Umemoto
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
(Ph.D. 1998, MIT)
(808) 956-7383
email: kumemoto@hawaii.edu

Interests: Community planning, planning theory, social policy, community economic development and race in ethnic relations

Karen Umemoto