Newswise — Mark Gillem, a University of Oregon professor of architecture and landscape architecture, is an expert on U.S. military base expansion and land use issues. As President Obama visits Asia and topics include the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and other locations, Gillem is available to provide information about land use decisions by the U.S. military.

In 2007, Gillem published, “America Town: Building the Outposts of Empire,” which examines decisions and impacts of land use by the U.S. military in Japan, Okinawa, South Korea and European countries. He has researched how the U.S. built more than 800 military bases outside of the U.S. and how that use of land has spawned protests among the citizens of host nations.

He recently returned from visiting bases in Asia and can provide information on current issues related to land use and military planning. He is also a former active-duty U.S. Air Force officer.

Expertise: urban planning, military land use, transportation design

Recent visits: South Korea, Okinawa and Japan to study military base expansions