Urban Economic Research at MSU
The urban economic research cluster offers students the opportunity
to become trained as researchers in a critical area of geography.
Students become skilled in the application of spatial analyses to
understand urban problems, determine solutions and to assess the effectiveness
of public policies. Graduate students have the opportunity to work
collaboratively on research projects with key urban/economic geography
faculty members. They are Professors Darden,
Mehretu, Pigozzi, Vojnovic,
Walker, and WinklerPrins.
Professor Darden conducts research on urban issues related to race, residential segregation, neighborhood inequality, concentrated poverty and the geography of opportunity. His research has focused on urban problems in the United States and Canada. Current research projects include a NIH Funded study on Race/Socioeconomic Area Characteristics and Cancer in Metropolitan Detroit. Other projects include the use of a confidential Housing and Urban Development Data Base to analyze the extent to which low income Section 8 voucher holders are experiencing movement into low poverty neighborhoods.
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| Pittsburg, PA (2000) | Chicago, IL (1995) | Toronto, ON (1999) |
Professor Pigozzi's research interests are broadly based in economic, transportation and urban Geography. The primary theme of his work is urban and regional economic impact analysis. From this theme interests branch out to related theory as well as to applications. Examples include regional economic base and input-output analyses as well as urban and regional planning and development. Recent interests have evolved from these topics into impact questions of equity, diversity and micromarginality. Overall, his research efforts and interests permeate various scales from the national level, using state level data, through the urban scale with individual real estate properties as the data units.
Professor
Vojnovic's research focuses on local and regional government,
public goods and urban infrastructure, urban design, and urban form.
His primary research interest has been on North American cities, although
he has consulting experience in a wider international context—including
in Europe and Asia. Currently he has two funded projects—from
the Land Policy Program and the Community Vitality Program—exploring
urban form, travel behavior, and public health in the Lansing Capital
Region.
Professor
Mehretu's research interest lie in regional development and poverty
alleviation with particular focus on spatial disparities in development.
His primary research interests lie in African development, regional
development, and theories and patterns of socioeconomic marginalization
in Africa and the U.S. with particular reference to Michigan. His
current research activities include the limitations of ethnic-based
administrative boundary formations for integrated regional development
in Ethiopia, and the impact of micromarginality in spatial disparities
and inequities in central Detroit.
Professor
Walker is an economic geographer who studies land cover and land
use change. Although much of his work is in rural parts of the tropics,
he has developed models of urban sprawl, and connectivity between
urban and rural spaces. In this regard, he has paid special attention
to regional development processes in the US, implications for the
relative distribution of urban and agricultural lands, and the environmental
impacts that result. In addition to theoretical land use models, Walker
has also conducted research on the effectiveness of natural areas
conservation efforts near large metropolitan areas. Walker belongs
to the roster of urban experts of the US Man and the Biosphere Program.
Professor WinklerPrins is a people-environment geographer whose research interests lie in understanding the human dimensions of urbanization in developing countries. Specifically her research focuses on the political ecology of rural-urban migration and urban agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon. More generally her research considers urban agriculture and its role in improving the quality of life for city dwellers in North and South America.
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| Dusty street in Santarém, Pará, Brazil (AWP 2002) |
Downtown Santarém, Pará, Brazil (AWP 2003). |
Street scene in Santarém, Pará, Brazil (AWP 2002) |