Philip Mark Plotch is a Fellow with the NYU Marron Institute and is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and visiting professor at Sogang University in in Seoul, South Korea. His research into the politics and planning behind large transportation projects explores the obstacles that lead to lengthy delays and the steps that can be taken to overcome them. Plotch's insights are helping to improve public transportation, promote environmentally sustainable growth, and overcome the deep distrust and cynicism about government’s ability to solve society’s problems. 

Dr. Plotch has played a leading role in improving the New York metropolitan area’s infrastructure. As the director of World Trade Center Redevelopment and Special Projects at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, he helped lead the nation’s effort to rebuild Lower Manhattan after the attacks of September 11, 2001. In his previous positions as manager of planning and manager of policy at the headquarters of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, he planned multibillion-dollar projects, developed emergency response procedures, and created strategic business plans.

He received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany, master’s degree in urban planning from Hunter College, and PhD in public and urban policy from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at the New School for Public Engagement. Dr. Plotch is currently finishing a new book "Mobilizing the Metropolis" that will be published by the University of Michigan Press.