Gerard Dericks (center) with HPU students at the College of Business.
London's skyline is adorned with iconic skyscrapers and has become a symbol of the city's architectural ambition. In a recent New York Times newsletter by Peter Coy, the economic forces pushing London's penchant for "starchitect" designs were examined where Coy cited research by HPU Economics Professor Gerard Dericks, Ph.D., and Paul Cheshire.
Dericks and Cheshire’s research explored the phenomenon of developers hiring star architects to increase the chances of winning approval for taller and more profitable buildings. In their 2020 article, they showed that employing a renowned architect acts as a powerful signal of design quality, serving as a passport to political approval and enabling the construction of larger structures, on average increasing permitted office building heights to 21 floors - from an average of only 8 floors for non-starchitect buildings. This discretionary planning system allows elected committees in London to be swayed by lobbying, making the skyline a playground for some of the world's most famous architects.
Dericks joined HPU in 2021 and oversees the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education, focusing primarily on the Economics for Hawaiʻi Teachers course. The course is taught by Dericks at no cost to Hawaiʻi teachers and aims to enhance their economic understanding and pedagogical skills for integrating economic principles into lesson plans.
With a doctoral degree in real estate economics from the London School of Economics, Dericks has held teaching positions at the London School of Economics, University of Bath, and University of Oxford. His research, featured in renowned publications, spans various fields such as economics, science, and education.
