Although he is an architect, city planner, and urban designer – he is primarily an urbanist. His professional and academic work focuses largely on the urban design of livable places — streets, housing, neighborhoods and cities. He takes a comparative approach in teaching and research to help better understand the various urbanisms and urban theories that operate concurrently across the country and around the world – how places overcome struggle, why they survive, and what makes them thrive. In his teaching he stresses the importance of contextual response and inter-disciplinary collaboration for the success of projects and their sustainability over time. Many of his urban design studios are partnered with clients trying to solve very real public realm and development problems; among these clients are the cities of Abu Dhabi, UAE; Oranjestad, Aruba; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Vancouver, British Columbia.