Enrique R. Silva
Research Fellow
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, City Planning & Urban Affairs, Boston University
ersilva@bu.edu
617-353-3000
Education
BA, Columbia University; MScPl, University of Toronto; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Expertise
Comparative urbanization and the formation of public sector planning institutions and practices
Biography
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 is currently analyzing the institutionalization of participatory planning policies in Chile and the USA. 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.
