University of Colorado Denver

Benoy’s research focuses on the growth and evolution of cities and their structures of governance. He is interested in understanding how local governments create the ‘capacity’ to provide local public goods and services. To this end, Benoy focuses on three interrelated themes: land development, social institutions, and public finance. He is currently working on two long-term projects. The first, is an analysis of the factors that shape public decisions regarding private land-use applications. This project is one of the first to systematically study the transaction costs associated with the land-use approval process across a range of American cities. The second project considers the network structure of intermediated exchange; in particular, relating to the municipal bond market. Additionally, Benoy is working on a series of related papers on: local fiscal stress, municipal bankruptcy, and strategic management. His work has been featured in Urban Affairs Review, Public Organization Review and the Canadian Journal of Public Administration Prior to joining the School of Public Affairs, Benoy was an Assistant Professor of Politics and Policy at Claremont Graduate University’s School of Politics and Economics. Benoy earned his PhD in Public Administration in 2008 from the University of Illinois – Chicago. While completing his PhD, Benoy worked as a Summer Associate at RAND and was also awarded a Lincoln Institute of Land Policy dissertation fellowship. Benoy has also worked as a land-use planner for Rockland County (New York), and as a development consultant in the New York Metropolitan Area.