Dr. Meredith Drake Reitan is a planning historian whose work offers an account of the culturally-situated rhetorical work deployed by planners and other professionals involved in shaping the urban landscape. She has written for academics and for the public, including articles in the Journal of the American Planning Association, Journal of Planning History and the Journal of Urban Design among others. Her research has been published as part of KCET's Lost LA series and on the Urban History Association’s Metropole Blog. Dr. Drake Reitan is an Associate Dean in the Graduate School of the University of Southern California and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Price School of Public Policy and School of Architecture where she teaches classes on planning, urban design and heritage conservation. She is the recipient of the 2018 John Nolen Research Award from the Cornell University Library. Her work has also been supported by the Historical Society of Southern California and the California Council for the Humanities.

Dr. Drake Reitan is a board member of the Society for American City and Regional Planning History and Vice President of the El Pueblo Park Association, an organization dedicated to supporting El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. From 2010 to 2015, she was a Board Member and Chair of the Preservation Committee for Hollywood Heritage, Inc. She has a PhD and Masters in Planning from USC, a Graduate Certificate in Visual Studies from USC, and a B.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Related Links: mdrakereitan.com