Portland State University's School of Urban Studies named for

Daily Journal of Commerce (Portland, OR), Apr 13, 2005 by Kennedy Smith

Portland State University's School of Urban Studies and Planning has been renamed in honor of Nohad Toulan, the founder and emeritus dean of PSU's College of Urban and Public Affairs.

Toulan retired as dean emeritus of the college and professor emeritus of the School of Urban Studies and Planning in 2004, and serves as a special adviser to PSU President Daniel Bernstine.

Naming the school for Nohad seemed like the right idea as soon as the notion came up, said Ethan Seltzer, director of the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning. It recognizes the accomplishments of somebody who is deserving of this honor. His career and approach to the community and world stands as an example for both faculty and students.

Under Toulan's 30-year leadership, the College of Urban and Public Affairs gained international prominence as one of the United States' most comprehensive public service programs. In 1972, he was hired to direct Portland State's graduate program in urban studies, which offered degrees in urban studies and regional planning. With the addition of the master's degree in public administration in 1976, the School of Urban and Public Affairs was created with Toulan as its dean. By the late 1990s, the school had transformed into the College of Urban and Public Affairs, comprised of three schools: the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, the School of Urban Studies and Planning, and the School of Community Health.

A fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Toulan has contributed to the development of major urban and regional plans in the United States, the Middle East and Africa. He is also noted for being the first planning director of the Greater Cairo Region.

Toulan, a native of Egypt, received a degree in architecture from the University of Cairo, a master's degree in city planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He came to PSU from Columbia University, where he was a faculty member of its Architecture and Planning program.

Toulan's research and publications cover city and regional planning, housing, and urban design. In 1997, Toulan received the Mayor's Spirit of Portland Award. He also founded the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, which serves to connect the university to communities in the six-county Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.

This was a fitting honor for a remarkable man, said Lawrence Wallack, dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Nohad is a treasure for the university and our entire region. His contributions are unparalleled.