City planning professor David Dowall assumed leadership of the Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD) in 2004. He has worked with IURD since joining the Berkeley faculty in 1976. Over the years, his research has focused on both domestic and international land management, housing policy, economic development strategy and infrastructure planning and finance.

Internationally, Dowall has carried out policy research and designed technical and financial assistance strategies for cities and regions in over 40 countries. Although he is known for his empirical and analytical work on urban land economics and infrastructure finance, he has spent over 20 years working with governments and nongovernmental organizations on neighborhood and urban development projects.