Dr. Edward J. Blakely recently retired as Dean and Professor of the Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University. He is a leading scholar and practitioner in the fields of planning and local economic development and has held positions in teaching, research, academic administration, and economic development policy for more than thirty years. Dr. Blakely has consulted with local governments and nations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa on all aspects of economic development, both rural and urban. In 2002, Dr. Blakely was one of the leaders of the Civic Alliance for the Rebuilding of the City of New York from the post-September 11 attacks. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fulbright Fellow, and a member of the National Academy of Public Administration. Dr. Blakely was a Professor in the Department of City & Regional Planning from 1986 to 1994 and has also served as its Chair.