Zenia Kotval

Zenia Kotval is a Professor and Program Director for Urban & Regional Planning at the School of Planning, Design and Construction at Michigan State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and has over two decades of experience in economic development and planning pedagogy.

• Education:
  • Bachelor in Architecture (Design & Structural Engineering) - Academy of Architecture
  • Master in Regional Planning - University of Massachusetts at Amherst
  • PhD in Regional Planning - University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Her research focuses on:

• Community-based economic development strategies
• Urban revitalization and industrial restructuring
• Quantitative planning methods and data analysis
• Brownfield redevelopment impacts
• Downtown economic revitalization models
• Fiscal impact analyses of planning policies

She also emphasizes planning education innovation and the integration of theory with practice through:

• Co-Director of MSU Extension's Urban Collaborators
• Leadership roles in the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)
• Ex-officio service at Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP)

Scientific awards and recognitions:

• Fellow, American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP)
• Fulbright Scholar
• Lilly Teaching Fellow