Danika Cooper

Danika Cooper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on the geopolitics of scarcity, alternative water ontologies, and designing resilient aridland futures, challenging colonial environmental frameworks and advocating for dry ecology-centered approaches.

Education: B.A. in Architecture from Washington University (St. Louis), M.L.A. and M.Des. from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Prior to Berkeley, she was a Designer-in-Residence Teaching Fellow at the University of Illinois, Department of Landscape Architecture.

Research emphasizes decolonizing climate action, infrastructural critique, and the socio-political dimensions of arid environments. Key themes include water scarcity narratives, dust dynamics, and Indigenous land sovereignty. Publications span architectural journals and interdisciplinary platforms, addressing topics from Xinjiang internment camps to Orme Dam resistance.

Teaches courses on aridland design, visualization techniques, and thesis preparation. Office hours held Tuesdays 2–4 p.m. at 310 Wurster Hall.