Brian Stone Jr.

Brian Stone Jr. is a Professor in the School of City and Regional Planning at Georgia Institute of Technology's College of Design, where he directs the Urban Climate Lab. He is a leading expert in urban climate change, energy utilization, conservation, and social-environmental impacts of urbanization.

His academic background includes degrees in environmental management and urban planning from Duke University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Stone's research program investigates urban-scale climate change drivers, focusing on land cover transformation, urban heat island effects, and climate adaptation strategies for cities. His work bridges urban planning with climate science to develop practical solutions for extreme heat mitigation and sustainable urban development, as evidenced by his influential publications The City and the Coming Climate and Radical Adaptation: Transforming Cities for a Climate Changed World.

His scientific contributions have received significant recognition:

• Choice Outstanding Academic Title Award for The City and the Coming Climate

Funding for Stone's research comes from major institutions including the National Science Foundation, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and US Environmental Protection Agency. He mentors graduate students in urban environmental planning and leads high-impact research translating academic findings into real-world urban policy.

As director of the Urban Climate Lab, Stone oversees a multidisciplinary team developing innovative approaches to urban climate resilience, including green infrastructure planning and heat vulnerability mapping that directly informs city-level adaptation efforts in Atlanta and beyond.