David Lopez-Garcia

About David Lopez-Garcia

My research examines how urban spatial structures evolve and what these transformations mean for urban planning and policy. As an economic geographer trained in urban political economy and the sociology of public action, I investigate how urban politics, institutional arrangements, and policy decisions shape the geography of opportunity across metropolitan regions. Using spatial analytic tools and statistical modeling, I investigate whether employment growth areas are accessible to those who need them most and analyze how urban form can either reinforce or alleviate spatial inequalities. A central thread in my research is the governance of urban spatial structure—how state-led planning efforts shape the spatial organization of economic activities in large urban regions. I co-coordinate the LAC-US Urban Structure Network and serve as Academic Director of the Latin American chapter of the International Network for Transport and Accessibility in Low-Income Communities (INTALInC-LAC). I serve as Editor of Area Development and Policy (ADP), a journal of the Regional Studies Association (RSA). I am a native Spanish speaker.

Areas of Expertise

Economic geography; Spatial econometrics; Economic development; Regional planning; Urban political economy; Sociology of public action in urban planning and policy; Urbanization processes in the Global South with emphasis on Latin America.

Selected Publications

• Villamizar, N., Ardila, A.M., López-García, D. & Hernández, D. (2025) The ‘accessibility turn’ in urban research: Contributions from Latin America and the Global South. Area Development and Policy, 10(2), 149-161.
• Heathcott, J. &  López-García, D. (2025) Design Highs and Policy Lows in the Making of New Public Space in Mexico City. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 18(3), 483-506.López-García, D. (2024) Diverging mobility situations in Greater Mexico City: Exploring the factors behind the mobility situations of public transport commuters. Urban Studies, 61(10), 1849-1870.
• Baker, D. & López-García, D. (2024) Do shifts in the racial and ethnic composition of a neighborhood lead to extreme changes in commuting times? Evidence from New York City. Travel Behavior and Society, 36, 100775.
• López-García, D. & Heathcott, J. (2024) Showcase Politics: The production and distribution of new public space in Mexico City. Journal of Urban Affairs. 46(4), 772-790.
• López-García, D. & Baker, D. (2023) Diverging Mobility Situations: Measuring Relative Job Accessibility and Differing Socioeconomic Conditions in New York City. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 113(1), 149-168.
• Whitney, R. & López-García, D. (2023) Fast-track institutionalization: The opening of urban planning best practice agencies in Mexico City. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 41(3), 600-616.
• López-García, D. & Gómez-Álvarez, D. (2022) Estructura urbana del Área Metropolitana de Guadalajara, 1999-2019: Un análisis de subcentros de empleo [Urban structure of Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, 1999-2019: An analysis of employment subcenters]. Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos, 37(2), 427-481.

Recent Courses Taught

• GEOG/US 100 – Concepts in Geography (Undergraduate).
• LALS/US 220 – Latin American Cities in the Global Context (Undergraduate).
• UPP 506 – Plan Making Studio (Graduate).
• UPP 508 – Global Urbanization and Planning (Graduate).