Dr. Gary Hack

Biography

Gary Hack teaches, practices, and studies large-scale physical planning and urban design. He served as the Dean of the School of Design from 2008 for twelve years. Before joining the University of Pennsylvania, Professor Hack was a professor of urban design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a partner at the professional firm Carr Lynch Hack Sandell in Cambridge. Over his career, he led planning efforts for Gruen Associates in New York and directed research demonstration programs on housing and urban development for the Canadian government. He oversaw large neighborhood demonstration projects and redevelopment initiatives in various Canadian cities, and has served as an urban design consultant on projects in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and Saudi Arabia. Professor Hack has prepared plans for thirty cities in the United States and abroad, including the redevelopment plan for Prudential Center in Boston and the West Side Waterfront plan in New York City. His research includes studies of urban design successes and he has authored numerous articles and chapters related to spatial environments.

Research Interests