David Epstein, Ph.D. examines the ties between decision-making and information access, especially in regard to interventions made by public agencies, community based organizations and philanthropy in distressed urban areas. Dr. Epstein’s methodological approach combines quantitative, spatial and qualitative methods. His prior research focuses on a neighborhood indicators system in Cleveland and provides a generalizable framework for identifying situations in which parcel-based data systems help community development corporations rehabilitate vacant and abandoned housing. Dr. Epstein was a Fulbright Fellow in Israel (2006) where his work revealed the sharp tensions between environmental conservation and economic development in a Galilean valley. From 1999 to 2004, Dr. Epstein worked for the labor union, UNITE, both as an organizer and as a strategist. He holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan.
David Epstein, Ph.D.
