Dr. Robert D. Bullard is on 2023 Planetizen 100 Most Influential Contemporary Urbanist List

Planetizen, a leading publication in urban planning, named Dr. Robert D. Bullard, a pioneer hailed as the father of environmental justice, to its 2023 100 Most Influential Contemporary Urbanists List. The updated list features a notable increase in women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Professor Bullard is a distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy and Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University.  He has written 18 books over the past four decades on a range of topics, including environmental racism, redlining, urban land use, housing, transportation, sustainability, smart growth, suburban sprawl,  climate justice, and community resilience.  “All of my urban work, no matter the subject area, has justice, fairness and equity, at the core. My job over these many decades is to connect the dots,” says Bullard.

Dr. Bullard is ranked 8th on the “Top 10” Urban Faculty Citations among tenure faculty in urban planning programs and departments in the U.S. and Canada, with 24,478 total citations.  His award-winning book, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality, is one of the most highly-cited publication in the field, receiving just under 5,000 citations. The New York Magazine in 2021 rated it one of the 13 best books on environmental justice. He has been a leading voice in the fight for justice and has mentored several generations of urbanists who are committed to fighting for environmental, economic, climate, energy and racial justice. His “research to action” model and HBCU “community-university” partnership approach helped make urban collaborative work more diverse and equitable. Explore the complete list of influential individuals shaping the future of urbanism on Planetizen’s website.