Bev Wilson

Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009

Professor Wilson's interests lie primarily in the areas of growth management policy, sustainable urban form, and urban simulation. His research focuses on the linkages between land use and environmental planning policy, development patterns, and both environmental and social outcomes. Recent research efforts include a comparative evaluation of residential development patterns in Charlotte, NC and Portland, OR; an examination of linkages between changes in residential property values, redevelopment, and infill; and an assessment of built-environment effects on firm location decisions. The use of GIS and spatial analysis techniques to inform better planning and decision-making is a key thread linking his research and teaching.

In the Fall 2009 semester, he will teach Urban History and Theory (UP 504), which provides a basic understanding of the origins and evolution of cities, the process of urbanization, and the human endeavor to affect urban growth and change. His prior teaching experience includes a similar course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a land use forecasting seminar, and short courses in spatial analysis. Additional teaching interests include Sustainability and Energy Policy, Quantitative Methods, and Applied Spatial Data Analysis.

Wilson received his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2009. He also holds a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science from Duke University. Prior to returning to UNC-Chapel Hill for his doctoral studies, he worked as a Spatial Analyst with the NOAA Coastal Services Center's Coastal Remote Sensing Program in Charleston, SC.

Contact Information
Room 224 Temple Buell Hall
611 Taft Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217.244.1761
Fax: 217.244.1717
E-mail: bevwilso@illinois.edu

Current Research Areas

Professor Wilson's current research focuses on the linkages between land use and environmental planning policy, development patterns, and both environmental and social outcomes. Other interests include the use of spatial data analysis and urban simulation as tools for informing policy decisions.

Selected Publications

Wilson, B. and Y. Song. 2009. "Comparing apples with apples: how different are recent residential development patterns in Portland and Charlotte?" Journal of Urbanism. 2 (1): 51-74.

Leaman, S.H., N.H. Oberlies, B. Wilson, and D. Jones. 2008. "Potential for expansion of the plant biotechnology sector in Northeastern North Carolina." RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC. Report prepared for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and the Northeastern North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission.

Powell, M.B., P. Hervey, B. Wilson, D. Salvesen, and D. Godschalk. 2003. "The impacts of growth and sprawl in North Carolina." Center for Urban and Regional Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Report prepared for the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center.

In Progress

Wilson, B. and P. Voss. "Looking inward: understanding changes in residential property values in Charlotte, NC." Submitted to the Journal of Urban Affairs.

Wilson, B. and Y. Song. "Do large residential subdivisions induce further development? A spatially explicit hazard analysis of land use change." Accepted for presentation at the annual ACSP Conference, October 1-4, 2009, Crystal City, VA.

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