معرفی
Akira Drake Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design, focusing on race, cities, and spatial justice. Her research examines the intersection of Black feminist politics and public housing policy, particularly in Atlanta, and explores urban planning’s role in racial inequities. She holds a PhD from Rutgers University's Bloustein School of Urban Planning and Public Policy, an MPA from the Fels Institute at UPenn, and a BS in Economics from the Wharton School.
Her work investigates how urban policies perpetuate racial capitalism and advocates for reparative planning strategies. A recent Spencer Foundation grant supports her study of participatory planning in Philadelphia’s school facilities. Key themes in her research include climate finance’s racialized impacts, educational infrastructure equity, and the legacy of public housing movements.
Her forthcoming book, Diverging Space for Deviants: The Politics of Atlanta's Public Housing, analyzes Black feminist activism in Atlanta’s housing policies from 1936–2010. Rodriguez’s scholarship bridges historical analysis with contemporary urban challenges, emphasizing community-driven solutions to systemic injustice.
