He serves as co-chair of the Tishman Environment and Design Center, the interdisciplinary environmental research and education center at The New School, and home to the university’s innovative bachelor's program in environmental studies, which emphasizes urban ecosystems, sustainable design, and public policy. Dr. Cohen’s current research focuses on urban food policy, particularly innovative planning strategies to support food production in the urban and peri-urban landscape, public policies to engage citizens in sustainable food production, planning and food access, and civic agriculture in cities and suburbs. He has a doctorate in urban planning from Rutgers University, a master's degree in city and regional planning from University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's from Cornell University.