Linda Shi

Linda is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Her dissertation explores a contemporary paradox in planning for climate change adaptation: how can metropolitan regions undertake the large-scale, systemic changes necessary to adapt to unprecedented climate impacts given the current era of neoliberalization, decentralization, and enforced austerity?

Linda responds to this question by comparing the experiences of five metropolitan areas in the United States that have developed new regional adaptation collaboratives – metro Boston, Jacksonville, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego. This analysis allows her to assess the contributions and limitations of different regional approaches, identify policy recommendations to enhance their effectiveness, and advance the academic theories of climate adaptation governance. The dissertation research supports Linda’s commitment to helping cities adapt to climate change in ways that remedy underlying drivers of social vulnerability and exploitation of the natural environment. It builds on her training in urban planning (Harvard Graduate School of Design ’08) and environmental management (Yale School of Forestry ’05), as well as five years of professional practice in regional planning and development in the U.S., Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa.