Christopher Auffrey

Christopher Auffrey is a Professor of Planning at the School of Planning, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, University of Cincinnati. He holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning (1994) from the University of Michigan. His research integrates urban sustainability, environmental justice, and community health, with a focus on GIS applications and visual communication in urban environments.

His research spans sustainable development, signage/wayfinding systems, and resilience planning. Key areas include analyzing the socioeconomic impacts of environmental policies, optimizing urban infrastructure through digital tools (e.g., VR, eye-tracking), and advancing regulatory frameworks for public spaces. Recent work emphasizes carbon emission mitigation, lead contamination remediation, and cultural documentation of vernacular signage.

Auffrey’s publications demonstrate a strong trend toward interdisciplinary urban solutions: 40% focus on environmental justice (e.g., lead service lines, carbon emissions), 30% on signage/wayfinding innovation, and 30% on data-driven urban modeling. Methodologies increasingly leverage spatial analytics and behavioral simulations.

Awards:

• DAAP Faculty Outstanding Service Award (2015, 2008)
• Ten Who Cared Award for community service (2005)
• Progue-Wheeler Travel Award (2012)

Grants: Principal Investigator or collaborator on 12+ federally and locally funded projects, including:

• EPA: Sustainable Development ($9,000)
• CDC: GIS for Healthy Eating/Physical Activity ($159,000)
• USDA: Rural Economic Development Evaluation ($100,000)
• Haile Foundation: Demographic Change Assessment ($30,000)
• Greater Cincinnati Water Works: Lead Service Line Prioritization ($9,622)