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Investigating the Social & Political Life of Cities
Investigating the Social & Political Life of Cities
My research program examines the social and political life of cities by focusing on neighborhood and district-based urban development initiatives. Centered at the intersection of urban design and the politics of belonging, my scholarship critically examines how the built environment shapes who is welcomed into or excluded from our communities. From analyzing the layout of neighborhoods implementing New Urbanism to studying the daily management of city parks, I investigate how the decisions of planners, developers, and institutions ultimately determine the boundaries of local inclusion and social equity.
1. The Politics of Belonging
1. The Politics of Belonging
A central theme of my work is understanding how local environments and the institutions that manage them can be designed to foster social equity.
2. The Global Evolution of New Urbanism
2. The Global Evolution of New Urbanism
For over two decades, I have critically examined the New Urbanism planning movement. My work tracks its shift from a suburban "exception" to a global "norm."
3. Community-Engaged Scholarship
3. Community-Engaged Scholarship
I am committed to the idea that rigorous geographic research should be collaborative, public-facing, and deeply embedded in the communities we study. This track of my work focuses on the theory and practice of "learning by doing."
4. Public Scholarship & Accessibility
4. Public Scholarship & Accessibility
Believing that geographic insight should be accessible to those who live in and shape our cities, I prioritize public scholarship and the creation of open-access digital resources that translate academic discussion for civic action.
Explore Active Projects & Core Research Focus Areas
Explore Active Projects & Core Research Focus Areas
- Politics of Belonging in Public Space & Institutional Governance
Signs of Belonging: Researching how public art and signage in parks can foster a sense of welcome for diverse communities. This collaborative work contributed to Ramsey County Parks & Recreation receiving the 2024 Innovation in Equity Award from the National Recreation and Park Association.
How Public Spaces are Created: Recent research exploring the transformation of public space following the George Floyd Uprising, using an approach to rethink public space as an event.
The Shadow State and Citizenship: A foundational and ongoing area of my scholarship investigating how nonprofit organizations that operate in the "shadow state" construct citizenship, providing vital social services, and mediating belonging amidst state restructuring.
2. The Global Evolution of New Urbanism
2. The Global Evolution of New Urbanism
Forthcoming Book (with Susan Moore): After New Urbanism: From Exception to Norm (University of Toronto Press, Expected late 2026) explores the evolution of this movement and its implementation in diverse global contexts.
Sustainable Development: My scholarship analyzes the intersection of New Urbanism with sustainable development, asking how these initiatives can be made "just green enough" to prioritize social equity and patient capital.
Focus on Practice: My research focuses on the multiple ways that the New Urbanism movement is implemented, yielding multiple New Urbanisms. Building on this work, I have developed typologies to categorize New Urbanist neighborhoods, examining their demographic characteristics and their impact on residents' daily lives.
3. Community Engagement & Experiential Pedagogy
3. Community Engagement & Experiential Pedagogy
Gleanings from the Field (2025): This edited volume explores how experiential learning and community-engaged research help students participate in solving “wicked problems” like food insecurity, while developing their own identities as critical thinkers actively engaged with the world.
Actionable Community Reports: I regularly lead fieldwork-based research projects alongside local neighborhood councils and civic organizations. These projects connect rigorous empirical research with theoretical insights to address hyper-local challenges, resulting in co-authored reports and digital resources that serve our community partners.
4. Public Scholarship & Digital Tools
4. Public Scholarship & Digital Tools
A Field Guide for Public Spaces: This digital platform serves as a public repository, providing actionable insights, design frameworks, and toolkits for planners, advocates, and citizens working to build more inclusive urban environments.
Interactive Digital Humanities: My students and I design interactive tools – such as the Payne Avenue Walking Tour and the Lake Phalen StoryMap – to document community resilience, archive local histories, and make spatial storytelling accessible to a general audience.
Public Commentary & Media Engagement: I routinely translate my scholarship on matters of urgent public concern into accessible commentary for mainstream audiences, publishing articles and essays in local newspapers, Streets.mn, and The Conversation.
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