Deland Chan

Biography

Deland Chan is based in the Program on Urban Studies at Stanford University where she teaches courses on sustainable cities, urban planning, and human-centered design. One of those efforts, the International Urbanization Seminar (www.internationalurbanization.org) resulted in a multi-year interdisciplinary partnership with Tsinghua University. In addition, Chan is the co-founder of the Stanford Human Cities Initiative (www.humancities.org) with a mission to build a sustainable and shared urban future by putting communities first.

Prior to Stanford, Chan worked as a Senior Planner at a community development corporation in San Francisco with a focus on transportation and land use planning. Her work resulted in capital improvements for the Broadway streetscape project, a pedestrian master plan for the Chinatown neighborhood, and a community-based youth program called the Chinatown Urban Institute.

Chan's experience growing up as native New Yorker guides her motivation for making cities economically vibrant and culturally sustainable for diverse communities. To that end, she is especially interested in making the field of Urban Studies more accessible to underrepresented students by advancing inclusive perspectives in the practice and research of cities.

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

Areas of Focus: Urban sustainability; land use and transportation planning; participatory planning; design thinking and human-centered design; emerging technologies in cities

Professional Associations: American Institute of Certified Planners, LEED Accredited Professional

Books

Articles