Selected Professional Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Program in Planning
Dr. Hess’s teaching and research focus is on pedestrian environments and design, planning for activity transportation modes, and streets as public space. Dr. Hess has engaged in research on how built environments influence pedestrian activity for more than 15 years, with his early work pioneering measures of pedestrian network connectivity now in common use. His current research work is focused on changing models of streets design including complete streets, pedestrianization strategies, pavement to parks programs, and the potential impact of autonomous vehicles. He is interested in the adoption adaptation, and implementation of street design programs in multi-national contexts – such as Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Russia – where he and his students currently have research projects.
Dr. Hess is particularly interested in the policy rationales and equity implications of these changes in street design models.
Specialty Focus Areas
Pedestrian environments and design; planning for active transportation modes; streets as public space; suburban form and development; planning history.
Email: hess@geog.utoronto.ca
Phone: (416) 946-3886
Website: http://faculty.geog.utoronto.ca/Hess/hess_home.html