Sara Meerow

Research Interests

My work addresses the challenge of how to make cities more resilient in the face of climate change and other hazards in a way that is sustainable and just. My problem-driven, collaborative research at the intersection of urban geography and planning combines qualitative and quantitative social science methods with spatial analysis in three focus areas: 1) climate change adaptation and natural hazard governance, with a focus on extreme heat and flooding; 2) green infrastructure spatial planning; and 3) conceptualizations of urban resilience. 

In the first area of my research, I develop and apply new methods to assess how cities across the U.S. and internationally manage growing hazard risks and whether their plans effectively tackle climate change and transform governance. This work has primarily focused on extreme heat and flood hazards – widely cited as the deadliest and costliest hazards in the U.S. – although I am expanding into multi-hazard assessments. In addition to combining interviews, surveys, plan content analysis, social network analysis, and spatial analysis to evaluate hazard governance from the household to city government level, I also create guidance and practical tools communities can use to address identified governance gaps. For example, I co-authored the American Planning Association’s first professional guidance on planning for extreme heat. My second area of research focuses on vegetated green infrastructure or nature-based solutions, one of the strategies cities most commonly plan to enhance resilience to hazards like heat and flooding. Here too, I use mixed methods to examine green infrastructure governance and then develop decision-support tools, such as my Green Infrastructure Spatial Planning (GISP) model, to address the fact that investments are not maximizing resilience benefits. Third, I unpack the ways in which urban resilience is conceptualized, examine the implications of these multiple understandings, and develop frameworks to minimize conceptual confusion and facilitate more impactful resilience policies. 

My recent research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Energy, and the International Red Cross. I previously co-led the Center for Heat Resilient Communities, a Center of Excellence established in 2024 by the U.S. National Integrated Heat Health Information System, was part of the third cohort of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Early Career Faculty Innovator Program, and was a Humboldt Research Fellow in Munich, Germany. My work has also been referenced by national and international media, policymakers, and city practitioners.

More Information

Lab website: www.planningurbanresilience.com