Richard B. Peiser

Richard B. Peiser is an American scholar and educator in urban planning and real estate development. He has been the Michael D. Spear Professor of Real Estate Development at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD) since 1998. His work focuses on interdisciplinary areas of real estate finance, urban design, and suburban sprawl. He has authored books, including Professional Real Estate Development and New Towns for the Twenty-First Century.

Early life and education Peiser was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Dallas. He is of German-Jewish heritage. and his mother, Patricia Levy Peiser (1922-2024), was born in Kansas City, MO. His father was a mechanical contractor in Dallas. His mother was one of the first professional social workers, serving as Dallas president and later national secretary of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). She founded the social work department of the Scottish Rite Crippled Children's Hospital in Dallas and received many lifetime achievement awards for her social work and voluntary service. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1973 and a PhD in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge in 1980 where he was a member of Magdalene College.

Career Peiser began his academic career at Southern Methodist University in 1978, where he served as an Assistant Professor of Real Estate and Regional Science until 1985. From 1986 to 1998, he held academic and administrative positions at the University of Southern California, including Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Founding Director of the Lusk Center for Real Estate, and Founding Director of the Master of Real Estate Development Program within the School of Urban Planning and Development.

In 1987, as the academic director of the newly established Master of Real Estate Development program,

Since 1998, he has held the position of Michael D. Spear Professor of Real Estate Development at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.

After graduating from Harvard Business School, Peiser began his career in 1974 with Gerald D. Hines Interests in Houston. He later co-developed residential, industrial, and mixed-use projects in Texas and California through his own firm.

Research Peiser's research covers urban planning, real estate development, housing, and infrastructure finance.

He has written on suburban development, mixed-use transformation, and new town planning, emphasizing strategies for financial viability and resilience during economic downturns.

His research also addresses green space valuation, sustainability, and transit-oriented development. He has published on housing tenure, ownership vs. renting, real estate cycles, development financing, and land use in China.

Selected publications Books

Journal article