Maria Taylor

Maria Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She holds additional affiliations as an IES Faculty Associate with the Institute for European Studies and contributes to programs including European Studies, Latin American Studies, and Migration Studies.

Her research focuses on transnational urban environmental history, particularly Soviet urban greening practices in Siberia and Central Asia from the 1930s-1960s. Key interests include:

• Cold War spatial politics and material culture
• Industrial site remediation history
• Climate justice and hazard mitigation
• Comparative urban environmental relations

Taylor's recent publications analyze Soviet factory greening and conceptual frameworks for urban landscapes. Her work bridges architectural history with environmental studies, emphasizing non-Western modernities. Major awards include the Princeton-Mellon Fellowship and University of Michigan's Distinguished Dissertation Award.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Princeton-Mellon Fellowship (2022-23)
• Dumbarton Oaks Mellon Fellowship
• Fulbright IIE Research Fellowship
• SSRC International Dissertation Fellowship

Taylor advises graduate students in landscape architecture and urban planning, teaching courses including LA 6910 (Land and Water Relations), LA 6940 (Second World Urbanism), and Senior Studio. Her research has received support from the Social Science Research Council, Andrew Mellon Foundation, and Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies. Current projects include the book manuscript Civic Engineering: The Soviet Dream of Green Cities and comparative afforestation studies.