Ben Metcalf

Ben Metcalf is a Research Professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Department of City & Regional Planning, and Managing Director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation. He also serves as Practice Director for the Abbey Master of Real Estate Development + Design program and CEO of Terner Labs, a nonprofit advancing housing innovation. His roles span academia, policy, and practice in housing and urban development.

Education: Master of Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard Kennedy School; BA from Amherst College; Inaugural Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence.

Research focuses on housing policy, affordable housing development, and land use regulation. His career includes leadership at California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (2015–2019) and roles in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he managed multifamily housing programs and energy efficiency initiatives. He has extensive experience in mixed-use real estate development with BRIDGE Housing Corporation.

Teaching includes courses on U.S. Housing Policy (CYPLAN 230) and Affordable Housing Development (CYPLAN 238). Key professional contributions include shaping California’s 2017 Housing Package and overseeing state housing policy during critical regulatory expansions.