Maurice D. Cox is the Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard GSD. He previously led urban revitalization as Director of Planning and Development for Detroit (2015–2019) and Commissioner for Chicago (2019–2023). 

Cox integrates architecture, design, and politics to advance equitable city development. His career spans public service, private practice, and academia, including roles as Mayor of Charlottesville, Design Director at the National Endowment for the Arts, Associate Dean at Tulane University, and faculty positions at Syracuse, UVA, Tulane, and Illinois Institute of Technology. 

In Detroit, he built a Planning Department producing award-winning neighborhood plans; in Chicago, he launched INVEST South/West to revitalize disinvested neighborhoods. He practiced architecture with his wife, Giovanna Galfione, and has received the 2024 Henry Reed Hope Award, two honorary doctorates, and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Cox holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cooper Union and a Loeb Fellowship from Harvard GSD.