Ellen M. Bassett, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Planning
College of Urban and Public Affairs
Portland State University

A.B. (History and Political Science) 1984, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; M.S. (Urban and Regional Planning), 1987, University of Wisconsin-Madison; M.A. (History), 1992, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Ph.D. (Urban and Regional Planning), 2001, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Bassett teaches courses in land use planning, urban redevelopment and planning methods.
Her research interests are in the area of land use planning, urban redevelopment, social equity, and community decision-making. She is particularly interested in understanding how different communities and societies formulate institutions (like policies, regulations, and property rights) to manage land use. Internationally, her research has focused on land tenure, urbanization, and access to land and housing for the urban poor. Domestically, she is interested how the urban environments produced by land use institutions affect human health and community well-being broadly defined. In three current domestic research projects she is: (1) examining the use of negotiated intergovernmental agreements for municipal boundary extensions; (2) investigating the impact of the recent wave of regulatory takings initiatives on planning practice at the local government level, and (3) evaluating the reliability of Michigan's Promoting Active Communities award (an on-line self assessment tool that enables communities to evaluate their policies, programming and built environment from an active living perspective.)

Prior to entering academia, Dr. Bassett worked for ten years as a technical advisor in various international development projects in the African countries of Kenya and Uganda.

Dr. Bassett's contact information:

Office, Urban Center, Room 370M
E-mail: bassette@pdx.edu
Website: http://web.pdx.edu/~bassette/