Erik R. Darden

Hi, I’m Erik.

I am here for all things GIS, spatial modeling, urban design, and public health. I’m driven by the intersection of spatial data and human experience. My work focuses on how mobility networks and infrastructure influence public health and community connectivity.

Beyond the data, I am an advocate for equitable built environment decisions, believing that the way we move through a city or town defines our quality of life.

Download Resume

In My Free Time

Guiding Principles

Strengths-based approach

I do not want my work to define communities only by what they lack. I am more interested in recognizing the knowledge, resilience, relationships, and everyday systems that already exist in a place, then using design and spatial analysis to support and build from those strengths.

Humanism

A humanistic approach matters to me because the work is about people before anything else. I want my process to stay connected to real experiences, like how people move through a place, what makes them feel welcome, and what everyday barriers impact their dignity.

Action

An action-oriented approach matters to me because research and design should not stop at identifying problems. I want my work to help move ideas into something useful, whether that means supporting advocacy, shaping decisions, creating tools people can use, or making inequities harder to ignore.

What I’m Listening To

Music helps me focus, here are my all-time favorites

01
Jean Dawson
Album: Bad Sports
02
Linkin Park
Album: Minutes to Midnight
03
Asal
Album: Missing Something
04
Montell Fish
Album: JAMIE
05
Central Cee
Album: Can’t Rush Greatness