Dr. Tamara Kerzner

Tamara Kerzhner is a Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, with research interests in transportation, international and development planning, and urban economics. Her work explores the informal urban economy; transportation systems in low-income cities; community and participatory planning; role of workers and labor politics in cities; and methodologically, the use of pilot projects, experimental interventions and random-control trials in planning policy and research.  Current and past research projects include work in Uganda, Malawi, Djibouti, Colombia, Canada, the USA and Israel. Previous to the Technion, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, School of Cities. She completed her PhD in City and Regional Planning at Berkeley, in 2023.  Student recruiting: Fully-funded PhD positions are available for students interested in relevant topics, particularly in international planning, development economics and informality in planning. These may include topics such as the geography and economics of:  

• Informal transportation
• Street markets, food and trade • Informal and self-built housing, • The urban gig economy – such as Uber, Airbnb • Work and employment in the informal sector • Community participation and influence on planning

The position is open to both domestic and international students, particularly those with experience working or volunteering with communities in Israel or internationally. Students whose research interests are in Africa, Eastern Europe or Central Asia are especially encouraged to apply, but research proposals for any geographic region will be seriously considered.