Dr. Michael Fichman

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Michael Fichman is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Master of Urban Spatial Analytics (MUSA) program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design. He is a city planner who researches various fields, including nighttime cities, arts culture, spatial analytics, land use, environmental planning, and transportation. Michael specializes in open-source analytics, data visualization, spatial analysis, and machine learning, focusing on data-driven public sector governance. He is an international leader in policy, research, and advocacy related to nighttime cities and nightlife culture, with two decades of experience in the music industry as a DJ, producer, and label executive. As an editor and author of the Global Nighttime Recovery Plan, he played a significant role in a multinational effort to support nighttime industries during the pandemic. Furthermore, Michael collaborates with consultancy VibeLab on the Creative Footprint Project, which involves multi-city community census analysis of urban creative spaces. He is also a member of the Philadelphia City Council’s Arts Culture Task Force and was instrumental in designing the Philadelphia Nighttime Economy Office in 2021. Additionally, he engages with the nightlife community group 24HrPHL as part of the Knight Foundation / 880 Cities Emerging City Champion initiative.

Research Interests

Courses

MUSA 508 (Public Policy Analytics) MUSA 801 (Smart Cities Practicum) CPLN 675 (Land Use Environmental Modeling) MUSA 795 (Spatial Analysis Bootcamp)

Requirements for University of Pennsylvania

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.6
GRE General
Verbal
Required:162
Quantitative
Required:162
Overall
Required:162
GMAT
Total Score
Required:728
Overall
Required:728
TOEFL
Total
Required:115
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent Strong quantitative background
Application Checklist
  • Academic Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation (2-3)
  • Resume/CV
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Essays
Specialization Notes

Wharton Doctoral programs cover fields like Finance, Marketing, Management, and Operations, Information and Decisions.