SC Connecticut News

Elihu Rubin, a scholar in urban studies, has been appointed as the Henry Hart Rice Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at Yale University. His appointment took effect on July 1. Rubin is a faculty member at the Yale School of Architecture and holds a secondary position in the American Studies program within Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Rubin's academic work focuses on the built environments of American cities and urban change dynamics. His book "Insuring the City: The Prudential Center and the Postwar Urban Landscape," published by Yale University Press in 2012, was recognized with Best Book awards from both the Urban History Association and the Society for American City and Regional Planning History (SACRPH).

His current book project, titled "Ghost Town: The Urban History of an American Icon," explores themes related to urban planning history, historic preservation, collective memory practices, and critical heritage. In Fall 2024, Rubin received a MacDowell Fellowship.

Rubin teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, including Core IV Urban Design studio for M.Arch I students at Yale School of Architecture and a lecture class on American Architecture and Urbanism for Yale College students. He has participated in teaching collaborations like Design Brigade, which involves students working on design problems for local organizations.

He also serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Urban Studies major. In 2020, he was awarded the King Lui Wu Teaching Award from the Yale School of Architecture.

Community-based teaching is central to Rubin's educational approach. Students engage with New Haven's community through research assignments developed with local organizations, often presented publicly at venues such as the New Haven Free Public Library.

Rubin's digital humanities project, New Haven Building Archive, compiles student research on local buildings while inviting public contributions. His research initiative, the Yale Urban Media Project, supports community-engaged research through projects like Interactive Crown Street and New Haven Industrial Heritage Trails.

As faculty director of Advocacy and Planning at the Yale Urban Design Workshop, Rubin collaborates with neighborhood planning efforts alongside groups like Greater Dwight Development Corporation.

Rubin holds a Master of City Planning degree and a Ph.D. in History of Architecture and Urbanism from UC Berkeley. He earned his B.A. in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University.