In 2013, David launched COLDSCAPES.org and co-edited the book "Coldscapes: Design Ideas for Winter Cities" to spur creative urbanism and livability year-round. He also co-founded Design Diversity, an initiative to promote people of color in architecture and design professions in Northeast Ohio. In support of Design Diversity’s mission, David started Making Our Own Space (MOOS), a youth design program that trains students to envision and build their own public space improvements.

During his academic faculty experience, David taught graduate urban design studios, community charrette courses, and advised Master of Urban Design capstone projects. He developed the International Design Exchange (INDEX) graduate studio at KSU's College of Architecture + Environmental Design, an urban design course focused on waterfront redevelopment sites around the world. In recent years, his global urbanism research focused on redevelopment projects in Cuba and Romania. In addition to teaching at Kent State, David also created the Designing Urban Green Spaces course at Case Western Reserve University as a part-time lecturer in the SAGES program.

David is Chair of the City of Cleveland’s Near West Design Review Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for Canalway Partners and CLEVR Community, a nonprofit focused on AR/VR technologies. An outdoor enthusiast, David enjoys birding, running, and kayaking to explore the cities he visits. Locally, he founded the Crooked River Commute, an annual 50-mile paddling journey from Kent to Cleveland along the Cuyahoga River. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from The Ohio State University and received his Master of Architecture from Kent State University.