John Adams, professor of geography, planning, and public affairs and chair of the Department of Geography, was named the first Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs in June 2000. At the time of his appointment, Adams was engaged in research with the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies on land-use and transportation issues in Minnesota's major urban areas. He used the resources provided by his appointment to revise and update Minneapolis–St. Paul: People, Place and Public Life—a book he coauthored with Barbara VanDrasek and published with the University of Minnesota Press in 1993—based on population and housing data from the 2000 U.S. Census.