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Urban and Environmental Politics

We are the largest group of experts on the social, political and environmental aspects of global urban change at LSE.

Our research is based on long-term research in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and the Middle East. We draw on theories and approaches from human geography, anthropology, and sociology, and across the inter-disciplinary fields of urban studies and postcolonial studies.  

Research on this theme is at the forefront of understanding the socio-spatial dynamics of urban inequality, geographies of race and nature, and the political economy of capitalism. Our expertise spans work on the right to the city, urban displacement and refugees, violence and security in cities, the intertwining of urban labour and recycling economies, and the politics of transnational care work.

Our research also investigates the urban cultural and material geographies of gender and sexuality, and practices of place, home and belonging. Research on critical environmental geographies and the social life of climate change examines the intersection of these processes with environmental justice and the urban-agrarian interface.  

Key research areas

city

Right to the City

displacement

Urban Displacement 

env injustice

Environmental (In)Justice

social life climate change

Social Life of Climate Change

postcolonial

Race, Postcolonial and Decolonial Geographies 

gender

Gender and Sexuality

violence

Violence and Insecurity 

policing

Incarceration and Policing 

home

Place, Home and Belonging

care

Labour Geographies and Care Work

discontent

Geography of Discontent

 

Experts

Meet our experts 


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Laura Antona

Assistant Professor (Education) in Human Geography 

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Aretousa Bloom

LSE Fellow in Urban Geography

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Ryan Centner

Associate Professor of Urban Geography

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Julia Corwin 

Assistant Professor in Environmental Geography

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Muna Dajani

LSE Fellow in Environment

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Pooya Ghoddousi

LSE Fellow in Human Geography

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Carolin Hulke

Assistant Professor in Economic Geography

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Gareth A. Jones

Professor of Urban Geography

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Murray Low

Associate Professor of Human Geography

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Alan Mace

Associate Professor of Urban Planning Studies

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Michael Mason

Professor of Environmental Geography

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Tanya Matthan 

Assistant Professor in Environment

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Claire Mercer

Professor of Human Geography

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Erica Pani

Assistant Professor (Education) of Local Economic Development and Planning 

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Kasia Paprocki

Associate Professor in Environment

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Laura Pulido

Centennial Professor

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Elena Renzullo

LSE Fellow in Economic Geography

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Romola Sanyal

Associate Professor of Urban Geography

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Hyun Bang Shin

Professor of Geography and Urban Studies

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Jessie Speer

Assistant Professor in Human Geography

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Meredith Whitten

LSE Fellow in Environment

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Austin Zeiderman

Associate Professor of Geography

 

 

Related research centres and units 

Our experts work closely with LSE's world-leading research centres. These include:

Related research seminars

We organise expert-led research seminars that take place throughout the year. Many are open to the public. These include: