My work focuses on urban spatial politics, ecological design, and uneven vulnerability to environmental hazards, particularly hazards associated with climate change. The work is informed by theories of urban political ecology, urban planning and design, and hazards and vulnerability research.
The Equitably Resilient City: Solidarity and Struggle in the Face of Climate Crises, my first book, is under contract with MIT Press. The book is co-authored with Lawrence J. Vale of MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. We present a framework for holistic, equity-centered planning and design for climate resilience and illustrate the framework through twelve global case studies.
My next book project examines the changing spatial politics of urban flooding in the age of climate adaptation and the evolving role of design in urban flood infrastructure projects. The project is centered on case studies in Dhaka and New Orleans, river delta cities whose growth has been substantially shaped by flood risk and protective infrastructure.
I am also engaged in long-term research on the intersection of housing insecurity and climate vulnerability among residents of manufactured home parks (also known as “mobile home parks”).
My research has benefited from support and collaboration of a range of institutions, including: the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism, the International Center for Climate Change and Development, the Bengal Institute of Architecture, Landscapes, and Settlements, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, and the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies.