Stephan Schmidt

What is the relationship between urban morphology—the physical form and spatial arrangement of settlement patterns—and sustainable outcomes in rapidly growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa? To identify these critical spatial intersections, we develop a range of urban morphological metrics and then examine the relationship to a range of environmental covariates including land surface temperature, air quality, and carbon emissions data.

A primary focus of my research group in recent years has been to better understand regional polycentricity; how to better measure it, and examining the evolution or development of metropolitan areas toward greater polycentricity.

How can planning institutions, regulatory environments and land use policies create more sustainable and equitable spatial patterns? We examine how differences in the institutional framework for planning generates different spatial patterns using a internationally comparative analysis.