Joe Grengs

Joe Grengs is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. His work focuses on social equity in transportation and land-use planning, advocating for accessibility over mobility as a policy evaluation criterion. He co-authored the influential book From Mobility to Accessibility: Transforming Urban Transportation and Land-Use Planning (2019) and served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity under the Obama Administration.

Grengs holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is a certified planner (AICP) and registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) with experience in public and private sectors.

Research Interests include transportation equity, accessibility metrics, urban poverty, environmental justice, and land-use policy. His work emphasizes how accessibility analysis can address disparities in job access, nonwork travel, and equity indicators across race, income, and gender. He integrates geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis into policy frameworks.

Recent Publications trend toward accessibility metrics, equity in transportation funding, and behavioral impacts of urban design. His articles span topics like Detroit's transit equity, intermetropolitan comparisons of accessibility, and transportation's role in social justice.

• Scientific Awards:
• Sustainability Catalyst Grant (2024)
• MLK Spirit Award (2021)
• Taubman College Faculty Excellence Award (2022)

Grants and Leadership include Federal Transportation Administration sustainability initiatives and roles as Urban and Regional Planning Program Chair and Executive Committee member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. He teaches courses on transportation policy, spatial analysis, and social justice in urban development.