My previous books and articles provide insights into the long-term value of planning to American suburbs and cities. My first book, "Suburban Alchemy" (2001), examined the long-term results of big picture planning at the famous new towns of Columbia, Reston and Irvine. In summary, I found that a range of planning concepts made a difference in the lives of the residents, just not necessarily in the ways that the planners had intended. Citizens reshaped plans to suit their need and modes of living even though they found much to value in the original concepts (i.e., pedestrian-oriented shopping districts, mixed housing types, and open-space preservation).

In my second book, "Merchant of Illusion" (2004) I took a critical look at the famous real estate developer James Rouse and his long-term contributions to American public policy and planning. Rouse provided much of the leadership for postwar redevelopment of American cities and suburbs, but he frequently encountered unforeseen outcomes that made him seek out alternative approaches.

In "Public Housing That Worked" (2008) I took on the history of America’s largest public housing authority and found that New York's planners also experienced unexpected planning outcomes. The tower-in-the-park planning model of mid-century modernism proved to be difficult for low-income populations, as it did in other cities, but I found that New York's administrators retained over 400,000 tenants in its high-rise public housing projects through constant review of physical and social planning concepts. The book is particularly strong demonstrating the role that management can play in planning outcomes and moves beyond a simplistic environmental determinism.

The public dimension of my research has become substantial over the years and has allowed me to influence policy and public debates. My work has been featured in a number of mainstream venues, including "The New York Times" and leading public radio talk shows in Baltimore and New York. I have presented public lectures on my work, penned editorials, and advocated for the importance of affordable housing in New York in speeches and panel discussions with leading public officials and scholars.