About Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon is Professor Emeritus in the University of  Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Gordon's research interests are in applied urban economics. He has recently written on how cities evolve and grow as well as the problems of the "sprawl" debate.

Gordon is also interested in cities and institutions. He is co-editor (with David Beito and Alexander Tabarrok) of THE VOLUNTARY CITY (The University of Michigan Press, 2002).


Gordon and his colleagues have developed various economic impact models which they apply to the study of the effects of infrastructure investments or disruptions from natural events or terrorist attacks.

Recent work involves the modeling and study of economic impacts. Some of this is reproduced in THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS (Edward Elgar 2005, co-edited with Harry W. Richardson and James E. Moore II) and THE ECONOMIC COSTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC TERRORISM (Edward Elgar, 2007, co-edited with Harry W. Richardson and James E. Moore II).

Peter Gordon has published in most of the major urban planning, urban transportation and urban economics journals. His recent papers are at http://www.petergordon.us/. He has consulted for local, state and federal agencies, the World Bank, the United Nations and many private groups. Gordon received the Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.