Dr. Hamid Shirvani, FRSA, FRGS, FASLA
Dr. Hamid Shirvani is an internationally recognized architect, urban designer, and educator, with over four decades of distinguished contributions to architecture, urban design, and land planning. His extensive portfolio includes professional practice, scholarship, authorship, academic leadership, and public service at the highest levels.
As a design consultant, Dr. Shirvani has collaborated with a wide range of public and private entities, including more than two dozen cities and development firms. Among his most notable projects is his role as Chief Design Consultant for the 3,400-acre Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, a major adaptive reuse project that transformed the former El Toro Marine Base into a landmark civic destination. His design work also includes numerous residential and housing complexes, each reflecting a deep commitment to contextual place-making and human-centered environments.
A leading authority in urban design and land planning, Dr. Shirvani is the author of three seminal books: Design Review Process (1981), The Urban Design Process (1985)—translated into eleven languages and regarded as a global standard—and Beyond Public Architecture (1990). His publications also include several dozen scholarly and professional articles, as well as numerous presentations at national and international conferences that have influenced both academic curricula and professional practices.
In his academic and administrative career, Dr. Shirvani has held several prestigious leadership roles across major American universities. He served as Chancellor of the North Dakota University System and Professor of Architectural Engineering at the University of North Dakota. He was President of California State University, Stanislaus and Professor of Art and Architecture. At Chapman University, he served as Provost and Executive Vice President, as well as the Martha Masters Professor of Art and Architecture. Earlier, he held the position of Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research at Queens College of the City University of New York, where he was also Professor of Urban Studies. He was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Professor of Philosophy, and prior to that, Dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he was Professor of Architecture and Urban Design. He has also served on the faculties of Pennsylvania State University and the State University of New York at Syracuse. In addition, Dr. Shirvani is a founding partner of the Higher Education Innovation Group, a national think tank and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Shirvani holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Princeton University, an M.L.A. from Harvard University, an M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an M.Arch. from the Pratt Institute, and a B.Arch. from the Polytechnic of Central London. His editorial contributions include service on the boards of leading journals such as the Journal of Architectural Education, Journal of Planning Education and Research, Journal of the American Planning Association, UD Review, and others. He has received several NIH and NSF grants and contracts, served on 32 local, national, and professional boards and committees, and has lectured at 27 international and 48 U.S. universities, in addition to presentations to dozens of public and private agencies and professional societies.
Dr. Shirvani’s distinguished career has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He received a Special Commendation from the American Institute of Architects in 2003 for his contributions to architecture and urban design, and the Seikyo Culture Award of Japan in 1999. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Soka University of Japan, and is listed in Who’s Who in the World. In 2010, Rotary International named him a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his meritorious public service. He was also honored with the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2004 and the Order of Malta in 2009. In both 2007 and 2009, Dr. Shirvani was selected as “President of the Year” by the statewide student government of the 23-campus California State University System, representing 430,000 students.
Dr. Shirvani continues to shape the discourse and practice of design, education, and leadership, with a steadfast commitment to excellence, innovation, sustainability, and the public good.