Phil Berke

My work lies at the intersection of land use planning, urban ecology, and community resilience to environmental hazards. It is motivated by a passion to understand the connections among urban development, natural environmental systems, equity, and community governance.

An incredibly rewarding aspect of my research is to inspire and empower my students. In my teaching and research, I emphasize active learning, critical thinking, and real-world applications of the concepts and issues related to land use and environmental planning. I am the co-recipient of best article and honorable mention awards from the Journal of the American Planning Association, and co-author of a book selected as one of the 100 Essential Books in Planning for the 20th Century by the American Planning Association. In 2013, I received the Award for Excellence in Doctoral Student Mentoring by the University of North Carolina Graduate School. My research is currently supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.

I recently served on the Committee on Coastal Risk Reduction of the National Research Council\National Academies of Sciences. I am currently an environmental planning consultant for the Louisiana's Master Plan for Coastal Protection and Restoration, and recently worked with the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability.