Assistant or Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Design - Spatial Analysis and Technology

Position Description

The Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD) seeks to appoint a full-time, tenure-track assistant or associate professor whose scholarship and teaching engage spatial, geospatial, and data visualization technologies both as applied design and planning tools as well as objects of critical inquiry. We seek candidates who demonstrate hands-on experience and skill in using novel spatial and geospatial data sources, advanced analytics, and computational modeling. Areas of focus through which qualitative and quantitative data can be engaged include planning or design applications in housing, urban development, urban form, neighborhood change, infrastructure, environmental adaptation, and transportation, among others.

We seek candidates who are committed to interdisciplinary engagement in a school that hosts urban planning, landscape architecture, architecture, and real estate, as well as with related disciplines across Harvard, such as engineering, computer science, and digital humanities. GSD aims to attract and retain individuals who possess a quality of mind demonstrating clarity of expression, analytical ability, critical judgment, creativity, and initiative. We also value individuals who support free inquiry and expression by others and constructive, collegial collaborations with faculty, staff, and students.

Basic Qualifications

Candidates should demonstrate evidence of strong research productivity appropriate to their career stage, including a record of refereed publications and national and international conference presentations. They should demonstrate a willingness and potential to secure external grant funds and the ability to lead research teams of graduate students and postdoctoral associates. Candidates should also demonstrate potential for excellence in teaching, with knowledge of inclusive and engaged teaching practices.

Candidates who pursue largely scholarly research are generally expected to hold a Doctoral degree, while practitioners may have an alternative terminal degree, appropriate to support the appointment rank. In either case, candidates should have a terminal degree focused on urban design, urban planning, geography, public policy, or a related discipline concerned with urbanization. Candidates should bear in mind that Harvard grants tenure only at the full-professor level.

Special Instructions

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in June 2026.

Applicants should submit:

• A cover letter
• A current Curriculum Vitae
• Up to 15mb of select, relevant material including publications, design work, and/or other demonstrations of spatial analysis, visualization methods, and research impact.
• Names and contact information for a minimum of three referees. (Candidates will be notified regarding requests for evaluation letters during the subsequent phase of the recruitment process. Please note that referees may or may not be asked for letters.)

Subsequent Submissions: Candidates advancing in the selection process will be asked to provide additional materials at a later date.