Brian Deal

Brian Deal is a Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He serves as Director of the Land Use Evolution and Impact Assessment Modeling (LEAM) Laboratory and the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC). His research focuses on sustainable planning, decision support systems, and urban resilience, particularly in climate action planning and energy systems design. Deal holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning (2002) and a Master of Architecture (1997), both from UIUC, alongside professional licensure in architecture.

Education:

• PhD in Regional Planning, UIUC, 2002
• Master of Architecture, UIUC, 1997
• BS in Architectural Studies, UIUC, 1983

Research interests include cyber-physical planning systems, urban land use transformation, and ecosystems modeling. He has led projects such as the University's climate action plan (iCAP) and collaborates with the Student Sustainability Committee. His work integrates sociohydrological modeling, geodesign processes, and smart technologies to address urban challenges. Deal previously worked in architecture and at the Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), focusing on sustainable design and spatial simulation.

Deal chairs campus sustainability planning committees and emphasizes participatory decision-making. His laboratories develop tools for resilient infrastructure and energy efficiency, aligning with global sustainable development goals. Recent projects explore carbon sequestration potential in urban landscapes and post-pandemic urban space usage through big data analytics.