Lawrence Susskind

Lawrence Susskind is the Ford Professor of Urban Studies and Environmental Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP). He serves as Vice Chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Director of the Science Impact Collaborative at MIT, and MIT Director of the MIT-UTM Malaysia Sustainable Cities Program. He is also the Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Consensus Building Institute, a non-profit mediation and collaborative decision-making organization.

Professor Susskind's research spans environmental planning, negotiation and dispute resolution, climate change adaptation, and urban infrastructure. His work focuses on collaborative approaches to complex public disputes, particularly in environmental and urban contexts. He has developed innovative methods for public engagement in climate adaptation planning, renewable energy facility siting, and cybersecurity for critical urban infrastructure. His research emphasizes the Mutual Gains Approach to negotiation, which seeks solutions where all stakeholders benefit.

Susskind has pioneered the use of role-play simulations in teaching negotiation and problem-solving skills, creating more than 60 simulations used worldwide. His recent work examines municipal cybersecurity vulnerabilities, the water shut-off crisis in older American cities, transboundary water diplomacy, and overcoming opposition to renewable energy facilities. His publications reveal consistent themes of collaborative problem-solving, adaptive management, and building public capacity to address complex environmental challenges.

• Planning Educator of the Year award (2005) from Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning
• Global Environmental Award (2007) from International Association for Impact Assessment

Professor Susskind has supervised more than 70 PhD dissertations and 100 Master's theses at MIT and Harvard. Through MIT and the Program on Negotiation, he has developed numerous online courses on negotiation, cybersecurity, and climate adaptation. He has also created the Climate Change Game and other simulation tools to build public support for adaptation planning. His work with the Consensus Building Institute applies collaborative approaches to real-world disputes in environmental planning, energy development, and urban infrastructure.