Dr. Boyle is the Professor of Urban Planning, Chair of Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Wayne State University. He was educated at the Glasgow School of Art and the University of Reading, UK; a Research Associate: University of Edinburgh; Lecturer and Senior Lecturer: University of Strathclyde 1977-1992; a Visiting Professor at the University of Delaware, 1985; Wayne State University 1992-present. He is also a member of the UK Royal Town Planning Institute, American Planning Association and Urban Land Institute.

Dr. Boyle serves as the Chair, and on the Planning Board for the City of Birmingham, MI. Board Memberships include: Greening of Detroit, Michigan Suburbs Alliance and Urban Land Institute (Michigan).

Research interests focus on public policies and planning for large cities, with an emphasis on local economic development. He recently completed a study of surface transportation options between Detroit Metro airport and downtown. Scholarly research has included cross-national policy responses to urban decline, with a detailed study of how mid-west cities are responding to "shrinkage".