David Thacher

Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Joint appointment with Public Policy
Teaching Areas
Public Management, Community-based Policing, Housing Policy
Connect

David is an associate professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. His work examines how empirical research can help us think more clearly about public policy values—both in general and in the specific areas of housing policy, criminal justice, and public management.

Thacher received his PhD in public policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan.

Courses

URP 534, Section 1
Fall 2026
Instructors: David Thacher
Public Safety and Community Development
URP 534, Section 1
Fall 2024
Instructors: David Thacher
Crime and Community Development