KEN HUGHES

AFFILIATION: Chief Planner for State of New Mexico's Department of Finance and Administration

AREA OF EXPERTISE: Planning

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE: Ken's career includes his role as the chief planner for the State of New Mexico's Department of Finance and Administration, including ongoing assistance that he provides to scores of communities and his fellow planners throughout the state. In this capacity Ken authored a major report on the effects of growth in New Mexico and options for its management, which has played a significant role in redefining the state's growth policies. Before moving to New Mexico, Ken spent thirteen years in Washington, D.C. working on energy, low income housing, and environmental issues as a lobbyist for the Sierra Club, Executive Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, and a legislative assistant to Senator Ted Kennedy and Rep. David Obey. Ken's experience as a resident of a co-housing community has also influenced his thinking regarding community building.

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Ken is interested in exploring different approaches for the revitalization of neighborhoods and declining downtowns, such as traffic calming roundabouts and location efficient mortgages. He is also interested in the potential ramifications of re-applying the principles of
the sixteenth century Laws of the Indies to twenty-first century New Mexico.