Justin Meyer

Justin Reeves Meyer, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer in City and Regional Planning, specializing in arts/cultural planning and design. In addition to teaching at the Knowlton, Dr. Meyer works as a Researcher at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Meyer has over 10 years of experience working with arts/cultural institutions, which include The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, The Hamtramck Historical Museum, Arts at Michigan, The Portland Art Museum, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Aspen Art Museum, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Sabin Community Development Corporation, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory (Columbus, OH), MetroParks (Central Ohio), North Park Village Nature Center (Chicago, IL), the Saint Louis Science Center, Conner Prairie (IN), the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Center for Science and Industry (COSI). 

Dr. Meyer’s research focuses on the interactions between arts/cultural institutions, communities, and urban space. Through the use of mixed methods and in collaboration with colleagues from other disciplines, Dr. Meyer's work aims to support equitable learning and cultural experiences in cities and regions. His research has been published in Cities, Urban Affairs Review, Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, and Journal of Planning Education and Research. He has also been featured in museum studies and neighborhood planning books such as Museums and Visitor Photography and Planning for AuthentiCITIES. Dr. Meyer helps lead interdisciplinary arts/cultural institution research on several federally funded projects, including Research to Understand and Inform the Impacts of Ambient and Designed Sound on Informal STEM Learning (National Science Foundation, NSF - DRL - AISL, #2215101) and Visitor Experience Preferences and the Whole Visit: Making Meaning across Systems of Experiences (IMLS National Leadership Grants, MG-251610-OMS-22). In addition to his work as a researcher, Dr. Meyer also has experience as a graphic and urban designer, having worked for environmental and architectural design firms, as well as interned with the City of New York’s Urban Design Division.

Dr. Meyer holds design degrees in Environmental Design from the University of Cambridge (MPhil) and Product Design (BSE) from Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. and MUP in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.