Brian McGrath

New York

Brian McGrath is Professor of Urban Design at Parsons School of Design at The New School and Associate Director of the Tishman Center for Environment and Design where he leads the Infrastructure, Design and Justice Lab. He served as Dean of Parsons School of Constructed Environments from 2013-16. The focus of his work is the architecture of urban adaptation and change from social justice and ecological resilience perspectives. McGrath was a Principal Investigator in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, where he led the Urban Design Working Group. His books include: Genealogy of Bassac, (2022), Patch Atlas, (2021), Urban Design Ecologies Reader, (2012), Digital Modeling for Urban Design (2008), Transparent Cities (1994), Resilience in Ecology and Urban Design: Linking Theory and Practice for Sustainable Cities (2012), co-edited with Steward Pickett and Mary Cadenasso, Growing Cities in a Shrinking World: The Challenges in India and China (2010), co-edited with Ashok Gurung and Jiyanying Zha, Sensing the 21st Century City (2007) co-edited by Grahame Shane, and Cinemetrics: Architectural Drawing Today (2007) co-authored with Jean Gardner. McGrath served as an International Fellow for Research with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (2023-24). Scientific Advisor for Designing Brussels Ecosystem (2018-20), Research Director in the joint US-EU exchange program Urbanisms of Inclusion (2010-14), an India China Institute Fellow (2006-08) and Fulbright Senior Scholar in Thailand (1998-99). He received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University and his Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.