Korkut Onaran, Ph.D., is an urban planner, architect, teacher, and scholar with a broad knowledge of environmental systems and regulation cultures, a subject he explored extensively through his practice, teaching, and research. He has been exploring practical ways of creating resilient communities in the face of climate crisis with some of his ideas on this subject summarized in his most recent book titled Urbanism for a Difficult Future: Practical Responses to Climate Crisis (Routledge 2022). He also recently published the book titled Crafting Form-Based Codes: Resilient Design, Policy and Regulation (Routledge 2018). 

Korkut owns Pel-Ona Architects & Urbanists with his business partner Ronnie Pelusio. Pel-Ona Architects & Urbanists, formed in 2010, is an eight-person firm specialized in good urbanism; offering code writing, master planning, urban design, and architectural services. 

Korkut has been teaching as an adjunct in the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Colorado at Denver, since 1997. His teaching focuses on form-based codes, urbanism, small town and tourism planning. He advocates achieving resilience via localization and community building. He was honored as the Mentor of the Year by AIA Colorado North in 2007. He is one of the leading founders of the Colorado Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism of which he served as the president between 2008 and 2018.

Korkut received his Bachelor and Master degrees in Architecture at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and his Ph.D. in Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Earlier in his career in Turkey, which is his original home, he has won prizes in architectural competitions including first prize in the national competition titled "Small House," second prize in the architectural competition for a mixed-use downtown complex in Kuşadası, fifth prize in the architectural competition for the Opera House and Performing Arts Center in Ankara, and fourth prize in the urban design competition for preparing a preservation master plan for Citadel District in Ankara.

Korkut received first prize for his poetry chapbook in 2007 Cervena Barva Press Chapbook Competition, and second prize in 2006 Baltimore Review Poetry Competition. His poetry book The Trident Poems was published in February 2018.  His poetry has been published in several journals.