Leah M. Hollstein

My professional interests include Land Use Planning, Environmental Planning, Green Infrastructure, Planning Practice, Research Methods, Landscape Architecture, Urban History and Change

Research topics that I am currently engaged with include Green Infrastructure, Science and Technology Studies, Land Use and Equity, Research Methods

BA: Rhodes College Memphis, TN, 2000 (International Affairs, Economics Minor: Business Administration)

MLA: The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2006 (Landscape Architecture)

Ph.D: The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas, 2014 (Community and Regional Planning)

I am interested in planning practice, land use, green infrastructure, Society - Nature - Technology studies, comprehensive planning, and decision-making frameworks. I currently teach seminars and studios in the areas of land use, green infrastructure, and physical planning and design analysis.

01-2014 -05-2014 Adjunct Instructor, Principles of Physical Planning (Undergraduate Lecture) , School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas

06-2006 -06-2007 Urban Planner, Campus/Town Planning Studio, Ayers|Saint|Gross Architects and Planners, Washington, D.C.

06-2007 -06-2008 Landscape Designer, Landscape Architecture Studio, Ayers|Saint|Gross Architects and Planners, Baltimore, MD

08-2014 -08-2016 Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

08-2016 -To Present Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

08-2023 -To Present Associate Professor, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Landscape Architecture, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

08-15-2025 -To Present Master of Community Planning Program Director, University of Cincinnati,

Grant: #MICD 2015 Investigators:Hollstein, Leah; Kickert, Conrad 08-10-2015 -12-31-2015 American Architectural Foundation Mayors' Institute on City Design Role:PI $50,000.00 Awarded Level:Private Non-Profit

Peer Reviewed Publications

Leah M. Hollstein  (2019). Retrospective and Reconsideration: The first 25 years of the Steinitz Framework for Landscape Architecture Education and Environmental Design. Landscape and Urban Planning, 186, 56

2019_Hollstein - Retrospective and reconsideration

Danilo Palazzo, Leah Hollstein, Stephen Diko  (2020). Urban Planning as a Career Preference for High School Students: Efforts to Improve Awareness about the Profession. Journal of Planning Practice and Research

2020_Palazzo et al.

Danilo Palazzo, Leah Hollstein  (2019). Ian McHarg's Confident Skill. Socio-Ecological Practice Research (3)

2019_Palazzo & Hollstein - Ian McHarg's confident skill

Diko, Stephen and Leah Hollstein  (2021). Towards an alternative interpretation of the Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Urban Greenspace Planning in the Global South: Evidence from the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Journal of Urban Affairs, Special Edition: Understandings of Global South Urbanism: The Identity of African Cities

Towards an alternative interpretation of the socio-cultural dimensions of urban greenspace planning in the Global South: Evidence from the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Other Publications

Leah Hollstein (08-2014) Dissertation: “Planning decisions for vacant lots in the context of shrinking cities: a survey and comparison of practices in the United States” . The University of Texas at Austin

Planning decisions for vacant lots in the context of shrinking cities: a survey and comparison of practices in the United States

Erik Dayrell, Lisa DuRussel, Leah Hollstein, Sabrina Siebert, Lindsay Smith, (04-2006) Group Masters Project: “Across Grandview Parkway: Strengthening Connections Between Downtown and the Bay” . The University of Michigan

“Across Grandview Parkway: Strengthening Connections Between Downtown and the Bay”

Published Books

Stephen Kofi Diko, Leah Hollstein, Danilo Palazzo (2023). Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education. Routledge. (Co-Editor)

Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education

Book Chapter

Leah Hollstein, Stephen Kofi Diko, Danilo Palazzo (2023). Becoming Activated: Professional Awareness through the Activate Community Empowerment (ACE) Outreach Program. In Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education. Routledge (Co-Author)

Danilo Palazzo, Stephen Kofi Diko, Leah Hollstein (2023). The Urban Planning Profession and Diversity Challenge. In Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education. Routledge (Co-Author)

Invited Presentations

Leah Hollstein (03-2014. ) Planning Decisions for Vacant Lots in the Context of Shrinking Cities: A Survey and Comparison of Practices in the United States .2014 Urban Affairs Association Conference, San Antonio, Texas. Level:National

Leah Hollstein (03-2013. ) Comparative Analysis of Planning Decisions about Vacant and Abandoned Lots in U.S. Cities .2013 Annual Conference of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, Austin, Texas. Level:National

Leah Hollstein (10-2011. ) Invited member of Panel “Shrinking Cities: Ubiquitous and Losing Stigma? .Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Salt Lake City, UT. Level:National

Leah Hollstein (04-2012. ) Invited member of Panel “How to Shrink a City – Legally” .American Planning Association, Los Angeles, CA. Level:National

Paper Presentations

Danilo Palazzo, Leah Hollstein, Stephen Diko (11-2016. ) Urban Planning as a Career Preference for High School Students: Rethinking efforts to improve awareness about the Profession .Portland, Oregon. Professional Meeting. Level:International

Leah Hollstein (10-12-2017. ) Planning Decisions for Vacant Lots in the Context of Shrinking Cities: A Survey and Comparison of Practices in the United States .Denver, Colorado. Professional Meeting. Level:International

Leah Hollstein, Evelyn Ravuri (10-2021. ) Diagnosing Gentrification: The Use of Google Street View Imagery Across Diverse City Forms .Online. Conference. Level:Prof. Org.

Event Organized

East Regional Mayor’s Institute on City Design Conference Conference 10-14-2015 10-16-2015 Cincinnati, OH Level:National

2016 -2017 Faculty Advisor - 2016 EPA Rainworks Challenge - 2nd Place Winner - Masterplan Category US Environmental Protection Agency Type:Recognition

2016 -2017 Outstanding Faculty Member Award Voted on by the 2017 graduating MCP class 2017 UC MCP cohort Status:Recipient Level:Department Type:Recognition

09-29-2017 Merit Award - Student Faculty Advisor - ReMEDiation: A Green Infrastructure Plan for the University of Cincinnati's East Campus Ohio Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects Status:Recipient Level:State Type:Recognition

Jing Li (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 02-2015

Russell Best (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 02-2015

Stephen Diko (Doctoral ) Committee Member Status:Completed 07-2019

Nick Sisco (Master ) Chair Status:Completed 03-2018

Samantha McLean (Master ) Chair Status:Completed 03-2017

Andres deWet (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 03-2017

Sean Hare (Master ) Chair Status:Completed 03-2017

Jalisa Harris (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 03-2017

Kelsey Schmidt (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 03-2018

Kevin Goldstein (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 03-2019

Evelyn Ravuri (Master ) Chair Status:Completed 07-2019

Amy Morgan (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 03-2019

Stephanie Sweeney (Doctoral ) Chair Status:In Progress

David Moore (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 02-2021

Sarah Morgan (Master ) Chair Status:Completed 10-2021

Victoria Browning (Master ) Committee Member Status:Completed 07-2022

DAAPworks (School of Planning co-ordinator ) Type:University/College Service Level:College 01-2015 -To Present

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (NATO Urban Seminar Wargame Experiment, NATO Defense College ) Consultant Type:Other Level:International 10-2016 -11-2016

Environmental Protection Agency (Academic Advisor, US EPA/University Cincinnati Research Training Program: National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Sustainable Technology Division ) Mentor Type:Other Educational Service Level:National 08-2016

(DAAPCares ) Representative Type:University/College Service Level:College 01-2016 -07-2018

(Urban Futures Faculty Search Comittee ) Committee Member Type:Departmental Service Level:Department 01-2017 -02-2017

(School of Planning Faculty Search Committee ) Committee Member Type:Departmental Service Level:Department 10-2016 -04-2017

Graduate School (Selection Committee for Yates Fellowship Program ) Member Type:University/College Service Level:University 03-2017

Journal of Urban Affairs (Manuscript Reviewer ) Reviewer Type:Editorial Service Level:National 2017

Corryville Community Council Director Type:Community Service Level:Local 11-2017 -10-2019

Socio-Ecological Practice Research (Manuscript Reviewer ) Reviewer Type:Editorial Service Level:National 2019

Journal of Planning Education and Research (Manuscript Reviewer ) Reviewer Type:Editorial Service Level:National 2018

Journal of Planning Literature (Manuscript Reviewer ) Reviewer Type:Editorial Service Level:National 2016

Landscape and Urban Planning (Manuscript Reviewer ) Reviewer Type:Editorial Service Level:National 2014

Urban Design International (Manuscript Reviewer ) Reviewer Type:Editorial Service Level:National 2015

Journal of Urban Affairs (Book Review ) Associate Editor Type:Editorial Service Level:International 08-2019 -08-2024

American Planning Association (Cincinnati Executive Board ) Committee Member Type:Service to Professional Associations Level:Local 06-2019 -To Present

American Planning Association (Ohio Executive Board ) Committee Member Type:Service to Professional Associations Level:State 03-2019 -To Present

Corryville Community Council Secretary Type:Community Service 10-2019 -To Present

2007 -To Present: LEED AP

Elected Member - Corryville Community Council Board of Directors
October 2017 - 2019
Elected Secretary - Corryville Community Council
2019 - Present,

Corryville Community Council website