Peter Laurence

Peter Laurence, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Clemson University's Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture. He serves as the coordinator of First Year graduate studios and is internationally recognized as an expert on Jane Jacobs. Laurence has been teaching at Clemson since 1999, following his Master of Architecture from Harvard University.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Architecture, University of Pennsylvania (2009)
• M.S. in Architectural History and Theory, University of Pennsylvania School of Design (2004)
• M. Arch., Harvard Graduate School of Design (1999)

As an architectural historian, Laurence specializes in 20th century American architectural and urban history, with particular expertise in Jane Jacobs scholarship. His research spans from classical to contemporary architecture, examining intersections of architectural theory with intellectual history and the history of science. He has written extensively on Jacobs, including his award-winning book "Becoming Jane Jacobs" which won the 2016 Jane Jacobs Urban Communication Book Award. His work also explores urban design theory and the history of architectural criticism.

Laurence's publications reveal a consistent focus on the intellectual development of urban thought, particularly tracing Jane Jacobs's evolution as a thinker. His work connects architectural history with broader intellectual currents, showing how Jacobs's ideas developed through interactions with urban planners, architects, and academics during the critical postwar period of American urban development.

His notable awards include:

• 2016 Jane Jacobs Urban Communication Book Award for "Becoming Jane Jacobs"
• First Prize Will M. Mehlhorn Scholarship for "outstanding work in architectural history and theory" (2002)

Laurence has received research support from multiple prestigious institutions including Clemson University, University of Pennsylvania, the Rockefeller Archive Center (2005), the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (2006), the Rockefeller Foundation (2007), and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (2012). He has served as Faculty Senator, secretary of the Faculty Senate, and on numerous departmental, college, and university committees. His influential work on the "Re-Imagining Cities: Urban Design After the Age of Oil" conference has shaped contemporary urban design discourse.

Laurence serves on the editorial board of Urban Design International and the board of The Center for the Living City. He has taught design studios at nearly every level from First Year undergraduate to Third Year graduate, and his historical courses like "Ten Revolutions and the Emergence of Modern Architecture" emphasize intersections between architectural history and intellectual history.