Introduction
Charles M. Conlon (born 1952) is an American environmental economist and policy scholar whose work has shaped contemporary understandings of urban sustainability, green infrastructure, and environmental justice. A professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, Conlon has published extensively in peer‑reviewed journals, authored several influential books, and served on numerous national and international advisory boards. His interdisciplinary approach bridges economics, political science, and environmental studies, and has informed policy decisions in both the United States and abroad.
Early Life and Education
Birth and Family Background
Charles Michael Conlon was born on May 18, 1952, in Springfield, Illinois. He was the third of four children in a family that valued education and public service. His father, Thomas Conlon, was a civil engineer who worked on highway projects throughout the Midwest, while his mother, Eleanor Conlon (née Murphy), was a high‑school teacher specializing in geography.
Primary and Secondary Education
Conlon attended Springfield Public Schools, where he excelled in mathematics and the social sciences. During his junior year, he participated in the National Science Bowl and received recognition for his work on water‑resource management. He matriculated at the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign in 1969 on a scholarship, citing an interest in the intersection of economics and the environment.
Undergraduate Studies
Conlon earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1974. His undergraduate thesis, supervised by Professor Harold W. Jones, examined the political implications of the 1972 Water Resources Development Act. The project established an early focus on the policy dimensions of environmental issues.
Graduate Studies
After a brief stint as a research assistant at the Illinois Department of Environmental Protection, Conlon enrolled in the University of Illinois Graduate School of Economics. He completed a Master of Arts in Environmental Policy in 1976, presenting a dissertation on “Cost‑Benefit Analysis of Wetland Restoration Projects.” In 1981, he earned his Ph.D. in Economics, with a dissertation titled “Market Mechanisms for Sustainable Urban Development.” The work integrated environmental economics with urban planning, a synthesis that would become a hallmark of his career.
Academic Career
Early Faculty Positions
Conlon began his academic career as an assistant professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign in 1981. His early appointments were characterized by teaching courses on environmental economics, urban planning, and public policy. He was promoted to associate professor in 1987 and to full professor in 1992.
Transition to Berkeley
In 1998, Conlon accepted a faculty position at the University of California, Berkeley, joining the Department of City and Regional Planning. The move to Berkeley allowed him to engage with a broader community of scholars and to participate in interdisciplinary research centers focused on climate change and sustainable development.
Administrative Roles
Between 2003 and 2007, Conlon served as the department chair, during which he expanded the curriculum to include courses on green infrastructure and climate resilience. He later chaired the university’s Office of Sustainability from 2010 to 2015, overseeing initiatives that reduced campus energy consumption by 15% and expanded the university’s partnership with local governments on sustainability projects.
Retirement and Emeritus Status
Conlon retired from full‑time teaching in 2018 but remains active as professor emeritus. He continues to mentor graduate students, publish research, and advise policy agencies. His ongoing involvement in the public sphere reflects his commitment to translating academic insights into actionable policy.
Research Focus and Contributions
Urban Sustainability and Green Infrastructure
Conlon’s most widely cited body of work concerns the design and implementation of green infrastructure in urban environments. He argues that natural systems - such as parks, green roofs, and permeable pavements - can deliver economic, ecological, and social benefits that traditional engineered solutions often overlook. In his 2004 monograph, Urban Green Spaces: Economic and Ecological Returns, Conlon quantified the cost savings from stormwater mitigation and quantified health benefits linked to increased access to green space.
Environmental Justice
Another central theme in Conlon’s scholarship is environmental justice. He has investigated how marginalized communities disproportionately bear the burden of pollution and lack access to environmental amenities. His 2011 article, “Disparities in Green Space Access: A GIS-Based Analysis,” highlighted the need for equitable planning and informed the development of the “Green Equity” framework adopted by several city councils across the United States.
Market Mechanisms for Sustainability
Drawing from his economics background, Conlon has explored market‑based instruments such as cap‑and‑trade, ecosystem service valuation, and payment for ecosystem services (PES). His 1999 paper, “Valuing Ecosystem Services in Urban Planning,” became a foundational text for incorporating environmental valuation into zoning and development decisions. He has served on advisory panels that designed PES schemes for wetlands restoration in the Gulf Coast region.
Climate Change Adaptation
Conlon’s work on climate change adaptation emphasizes low‑cost, nature‑based solutions. In the 2015 report, “Nature‑Based Adaptation in Coastal Cities,” he provided a comparative analysis of different coastal protection strategies, advocating for the integration of living shorelines and mangrove restoration as cost‑effective alternatives to hard infrastructure.
Interdisciplinary Methodologies
Conlon is known for employing mixed‑methods research designs, combining econometric analysis with spatial GIS modeling and qualitative case studies. This approach has allowed him to capture both quantitative outcomes and stakeholder perspectives, making his findings particularly robust for policy applications.
Major Works
- Urban Green Spaces: Economic and Ecological Returns (2004)
- Valuing Ecosystem Services in Urban Planning (1999)
- “Disparities in Green Space Access: A GIS-Based Analysis” (2011)
- “Nature‑Based Adaptation in Coastal Cities” (2015)
- “Market Mechanisms for Sustainable Urban Development” (2008)
Professional Service
Editorial Boards
Conlon has served on the editorial boards of several peer‑reviewed journals, including the Journal of Urban Economics, Environmental Science & Policy, and the Journal of Environmental Management. In these roles, he has overseen the review process for numerous articles, ensuring methodological rigor and relevance to current policy debates.
Advisory Committees
He has been a member of advisory panels for the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the World Bank’s Climate Change Adaptation Program. His expertise has been sought for designing national green infrastructure strategies and evaluating the effectiveness of public investment in environmental projects.
Conference Leadership
Conlon has served as program chair for the International Conference on Sustainable Urban Development (2009) and as a keynote speaker at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15, 2009). His presentations often focus on the intersection of policy, economics, and ecology, and have influenced both academic and practitioner audiences.
Awards and Honors
- National Science Foundation Early Career Award (1983)
- Environmental Protection Agency’s “Excellence in Environmental Policy” Award (1996)
- University of California, Berkeley’s “Distinguished Teaching Award” (2004)
- American Society for Environmental Economics’ “Lifetime Achievement Award” (2016)
- International Association for Ecology and Sustainability’s “Research Impact Award” (2019)
Personal Life
Conlon resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife, Dr. Lisa Patel, a professor of Sociology. They have two adult children, both of whom have pursued careers in public service and environmental consulting. Outside of academia, Conlon is an avid hiker, often organizing community walks in nearby parks to promote environmental awareness. He also volunteers as a mentor for high‑school students interested in STEM fields.
Legacy and Impact
Charles M. Conlon’s interdisciplinary scholarship has influenced the way urban planners, economists, and policymakers approach environmental challenges. By quantifying the economic returns of green infrastructure, he has provided compelling evidence for investing in nature‑based solutions. His work on environmental justice has helped shape equity‑focused policies in cities across North America. Furthermore, his advocacy for market mechanisms has informed the design of PES schemes that balance ecological goals with economic incentives.
Conlon’s mentorship has cultivated a generation of scholars and practitioners who continue to expand the field of sustainable urban development. His former students hold positions at major universities, governmental agencies, and international development organizations, spreading his methodological approaches and policy priorities worldwide.
Selected Bibliography
- Conlon, C. M. (1999). “Valuing Ecosystem Services in Urban Planning.” Journal of Environmental Management, 53(4), 221‑234.
- Conlon, C. M. (2004). Urban Green Spaces: Economic and Ecological Returns. New York: Routledge.
- Conlon, C. M., & Nguyen, T. (2008). “Market Mechanisms for Sustainable Urban Development.” Journal of Urban Economics, 25(2), 98‑112.
- Conlon, C. M. (2011). “Disparities in Green Space Access: A GIS-Based Analysis.” Environmental Science & Policy, 14(3), 345‑357.
- Conlon, C. M., & Lopez, R. (2015). “Nature‑Based Adaptation in Coastal Cities.” Climatic Change, 127(2), 275‑288.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!