He was the founder and director of the Urban Design Lab, a research unit of Columbia's Earth Institute, where he also served as professor.

[2] He has taught at Columbia since 1973, and served as chair of the Division of Architecture and director of the post-professional Urban Design Program from 1992 to 2015.

During the 1970s, he undertook anthropological field research in a series of major studies using digitized environmental modeling to help understand the divergent urban contexts of Mantua, in West Philadelphia,[4] the frazione of San Leucio in Southern Italy,[5] and in the Adirondack High Peaks region in New York State.

[10] Urban planner Peter Marcuse wrote of the book in a 1992 review, “For its wealth of information and description, for its humane perspective, and for the illumination it provides on the role of architecture in the shaping of housing in New York City over the decades, this is a most valuable book.”[11] Plunz has published two anthologies of his writing on cities.

"[12] Plunz received the Andrew J Thomas Award from the American Institute of Architects for his pioneering work in housing.