Kheir Al-Kodmany

Dr. Kheir Al-Kodmany is a Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), within the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. and Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on vertical urbanism, sustainable design, smart cities, GIS, and crowd management. He has authored 16 books, with over 150 publications and an h-index of 34, and serves on 20 editorial boards.

Education: Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning (UIUC, 1995); Master of Architecture (UIUC, 1989).

Research interests include tall building sustainability, placemaking, visualization technologies, and crowd management strategies. His work spans global projects, such as Hajj pilgrimage planning in Saudi Arabia and master planning for Amman, Jordan. Key contributions include advancing 3D modeling, GIS, and participatory planning tools.

Notable awards include the APA Award for zoning guidelines and the 2018 Best Paper Award from Buildings Journal. He has held leadership roles at UIC, including Director of Graduate Studies and Co-Director of the Urban Data Visualization Laboratory.

Advising and grants: Secured grants for urban projects like Gary’s economic revitalization and the Northerly Island plan. His work emphasizes community-based approaches and sustainable urban regeneration.

Affiliated with ACSP, CTBUH, and URISA. Former mentorship under Prof. Robert B. Riley and J.B. Jackson, complemented by his father’s architectural legacy from École des Beaux-Arts, Paris.