Ariel Bierbaum

Ariel Bierbaum is Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Maryland, with affiliate appointments at the National Center for Smart Growth and Maryland Transportation Institute. Her interdisciplinary research examines how public schools and urban planning systems perpetuate or reduce inequality, with focus on educational equity and community development.

Her work investigates school-community relationships, neighborhood effects of school closures, transportation equity in school choice systems, and cross-sector governance. Recent publications analyze Baltimore's school-centered neighborhood investments and examine mobility justice frameworks connecting transportation planning with educational access.