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About William Riggs

William (Billy) Riggs, Ph.D., AICP, LEED AP is a professor at University of San Francisco and researcher, strategist and thought leader in the areas of transportation/engineering innovation, housing/real estate, economics, and emerging technology. He has over 50 publications in these areas, and has had his work featured in multiple national media outlets—including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and the Atlantic.  He consults regularly for the firm Sustinere.co and various technology companies, is a regular contributor on Planetizen.com, and is the co-creator of ReStreet.com—a tool for democratizing street design policy and process.
 
Prior to coming to University of San Francisco, Dr. Riggs held additional academic appointments in city planning, transportation, policy and management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Jose State University and the University of Louisville. In addition to this academic experience, he worked as a land use and transportation planner, asset manager and economist for over 15 years.  Highlights include work as: Principal Planner and Parking and Transportation Program Manager for UC Berkeley; a Senior Planner for the consulting firm Arup where he worked on the environmental and land use planning of over 5,000 acres of former military land in Concord, CA and completed certification of two pilot LEED Neighborhood Design projects; a planner for the US Coast Guard conducting award winning physical design and mobility planning for Coast Guard bases domestically and abroad. 
 
Dr. Riggs holds his PhD from UC Berkeley’ s College of Environmental Design, where he was a National Science Foundation Fellow and a University of California, Transportation Center Fellow. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), is LEED certified by the US Green Building Council (LEED AP).  From 2013-2017 he served on the City of San Luis Obispo, Planning Commission. In addition to his teaching and research role at University of San Francisco, he currently sits on the City of Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission, Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Transportation Economics, and provides contributions, strategy and consulting to multiple technology companies.  Growing up in the Louisville, Kentucky area, he loves basketball, appreciates good bourbon and enjoys poetry that is read with a strong southern accent like his grandmother.

Positions

August 2017 - Present Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco
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2002 - Present Principal & Director of Research, Sustinere ‐ Research
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August 2016 - September 2017 Visiting Scholar, San Jose State University ‐ Department of Urban and Regional Planning
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January 2013 - September 2017 Assistant Professor, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo ‐ City and Regional Planning
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May 2008 - April 2014 Principal Planner and Research Scholar, University of California, Berkeley, California
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August 2012 - January 2013 Adjunct Faculty Member, San Jose State University ‐ Department of Urban and Regional Planning
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June 2007 - May 2008 Senior Planner, Arup
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May 2003 - June 2007 Asset Manager & Planner, US Coast Guard
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August 2001 - May 2003 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
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May 2002 - September 2002 Graduate Planner, Robert Doughty Consultancy
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Curriculum Vitae




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Education

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August 2006 - December 2011 PhD, PhD, University of California, Berkeley, California
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August 2001 - May 2003 MUP, MUP, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
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August 1997 - June 2001 BA, BA, Ball State University, Muncie, IN
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Contact Information

William Riggs PhD, AICP, LEED AP
Assistant Professor
School of Management
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117

Email:



Publications (35)