معرفی
Justin Steil is an Associate Professor of Law and Urban Planning with tenure at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is affiliated with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP). His research analyzes how power and inequality are created and contested through control over access to particular places, with a focus on housing policy, environmental justice, and racial inequality.
Justin received his educational credentials from prestigious institutions:
- B.A. in African-American Studies from Harvard College
- M.Sc. in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics
- J.D. from Columbia Law School
- Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Professor Steil's scholarship disentangles how the structure of local governance and land use law interacts with housing policies to shape the spatial structure of our social world in ways that produce economic and racial inequality. He analyzes how zoning and housing policies can be redesigned to increase equality of access to resources and advance racial justice. His work spans three main research areas: environmental justice (particularly housing and climate change disasters), affordable housing and housing discrimination, and local governance and land use regulation. He has co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court and his research has been cited in federal court opinions.
His recent publications reveal a growing focus on the intersection of housing policy and climate change, with several articles examining how disasters affect low-income housing and rental markets. His work increasingly incorporates comparative perspectives, examining housing policies across the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, and shows a trend toward interdisciplinary collaboration with colleagues from emergency medical services, public health, and data science.
His scholarly contributions have been recognized with numerous awards:
- Departmental Teaching Award (2016)
- Committed to Caring Award (2018) for professors who go above and beyond to impact graduate students' lives
- Paul Gray Award for Public Service (2018) recognizing faculty who exemplify building a better world
- Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising (2021)
- Harold E. Edgerton Award (2021) for exceptional contributions in research, teaching, and service
Professor Steil is deeply committed to mentoring students and community engagement. He has co-founded volunteer teaching programs at multiple correctional facilities and serves on the Board of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council. He is affiliated with MIT's Women's and Gender Studies program, Sociology department, and Legal Studies Concentration. Additionally, he serves on the faculty council of the MIT Community Innovators Lab (CoLab) and is a researcher in residence for Boston Emergency Medical Services while also serving as an Emergency Medical Technician for MIT EMS.
