Marla Nelson, PhD, AICP Marla Nelson, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Planning and Urban Studies at the University of New Orleans where she teaches courses in local economic development, community development and planning history and theory. Nelson’s recent research examined the economic and workforce development potential of health services in central cities throughout the United States. Active in local and national organizations, Nelson is member of the national and Louisiana chapters of the American Planning Association (APA), the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Planners Network, the Urban Affairs Association Governing Board and the Vacant Property Research Advisory Board and serves on the board two community based organizations in New Orleans. Nelson received her BA in economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her MCRP and PhD in urban planning and policy development from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Nelson’s research has been funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Science Foundation, the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy and the Louisiana Board of Regents. She has published in Cityscape, Economic Development Quarterly, the Journal of Planning Education and Research, the Journal of Urban Affairs, the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Transportation Quarterly and Urban Geography. She is a member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, the national and Louisiana chapters of the American Planning Association (APA), the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Planners Network and the Urban Affairs Association.