Daniel Hess

Daniel Hess is a Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University at Buffalo (UB), where he has been a faculty member since 2002 and served as Department Chair from 2017-2022. He holds a PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA, an M.U.P. from UB, and a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University. His research examines the intersection of housing, transportation, and spatial inequality, with particular focus on LGBTQ+ communities, sustainable urban transformation, and post-socialist urbanism in Eastern Europe.

• PhD, Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles
• M.U.P., University at Buffalo
• B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University

Research interests center on:

• Equitable public transportation systems and fare-free transit impacts
• Walkability and multi-modal transportation planning
• Socio-economic and ethnic spatial disparities
• Sustainable renewal of Soviet-era housing estates
• Urban community responses to pandemics
• Historical influences on current urban development

His recent publications analyze the green transformation of socialist housing estates, pedestrian safety in zoning reforms, and LGBTQ+ neighborhood resilience during crises. He has received major fellowships including a Fulbright and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship, demonstrating international recognition of his work.

• SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
• National Endowment for the Humanities Visiting Scholar
• UB Presidential Commission on Academic Excellence and Equity
• Federal Highway Administration Eisenhower Fellowship

As a dedicated educator, he teaches environmental design, urban planning studios, and study abroad programs in Europe. His community engagement spans transit-oriented development along Buffalo’s Metro Rail, barrier analysis for older adult transit access, and alternative transportation financing strategies. He emphasizes student participation in field data collection and analytical methodology development.