Judy Baker serves on the faculty of the Urban & Regional Planning program and is an Advisor for several international organizations including the Cities Alliance, the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy, and the World Bank working on issues of sustainable and inclusive urbanization.
Judy spent 33 years working at the World Bank until 2023 with recent positions as Global Lead and Lead Economist in the Global Practice for Urban, Resilience and Land. Throughout her career at the World Bank she was responsible for leading policy dialogue, analytical work, and project management, particularly in East Asia, Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. This work has spanned engagements in over 30 countries and covered topics related to sustainable urbanization and its impacts, affordable housing, poverty, slum upgrading, service delivery, climate change, local governance, economic development and monitoring and evaluation.
She has published six books, as well as produced numerous country and regional reports for the World Bank. She has taught at the American University School of International Service and been invited to guest lecture in several international universities.
Judy holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan, a M.A. from Boston University in Regional Economics and an executive certificate from Harvard University.