Faculty
Enrique R. Silva
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, City Planning and Urban Affairs
BA, Columbia University; MScPl, University of Toronto; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Silva's field of expertise in city planning and urban affairs is comparative urbanization and the formation of public sector planning institutions and practices. He conducts research on the institutionalization of participatory planning policies in Chile and the U.S.A., and is currently working on post-earthquake planning efforts in Haiti. For news on Dr. Silva's work on Haiti, please see BU MCP/MUA working with Haiti. His research raises questions about the challenges inherent in the democratization of planning and policy-making in general, especially in the context of neoliberal economic-political regimes. This research contributes to broader theoretical debates on democracy and pluralism, but it also informs public sector and grass-roots strategies to improve participatory planning mechanisms.
Silva teaches courses on the theory and history of city planning, comparative urbanization, politics and public participation, as well as qualitative research methods. In addition to his years working abroad in the fields of international development, philanthropy and human rights, Silva has several years of professional experience as a city planner and environmental permitting consultant in Greater Boston.
Current and Past Courses:
- MET UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning
- MET UA 590 Comparative Urbanization and International Planning
- MET UA 604 Urban Political Decision Making: Citizen Participation in the Planning Process
- MET UA 703 Urban Research Methods (Qualitative)
- MET UA 751 Urban Introduction to City Planning and Decision Theory
- MET UA 805 The Boston Urban Symposium
