Experience of 40 years in urban development working in scores of countries and hundreds of cities in Latin America, South and East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.  His areas of expertise include the role of cities in global affairs; smart cities, city learning, exchange and innovation; strategic urban planning; city development strategies; decentralization; urban policy; and social and poverty impact of urban development.

Holds a B.A. in Political Science from U. C. Berkeley (1966), a Masters in City and Regional Planning from U.C. Berkeley (1970), and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning from M.I.T. (1980).