Rapkin, Chester, 1918-2001

Chester Rapkin was born in New York City February 18, 1918. He studied at City College (BS 1939) and Columbia University (PhD 1953). He taught City Planning and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania (1954-1967), Columbia University (1966-1973) and Princeton University (1973-1988, emeritus 1988-2001). Rapkin's research and publishing applied highly disciplined analysis to the urgent social and economic issues of American cities in the second half of the twentieth century, such as affordable housing, urban decay, racial discrimination, homelessness and the plight of the displaced elderly and the "deinstitutionalized" mentally ill. Not content with analysis alone, Rapkin was committed to public service. He served as staff director of Lyndon B. Johnson's Presidential Task Force on Urban Problems whose policy papers and recommendations led to groundbreaking federal legislation in 1966 establishing the Model Cities Program. He served on the New York City Planning Commission from 1969 to 1976 and was Chairman of the Governors' Task Force on the Future of the Tri-State Regional Planning Commission 1979 to 1981. In addition to teaching, academic research and public service, Rapkin undertook many private research and consulting commissions, including planning projects across the continental United States and in Hawaii as well as projects in Korea, China, Australia and Israel. After retirement from teaching, Rapkin actively continued speaking and consulting through the early 1990s.

d. January 28, 2001.

Professor of urban planning.

Chester Rapkin is the director of the Institute of Urban Environment. Member, International Fraternity of Lambda Alpha, New York Chapter.