Laura Kurgan

Laura Kurgan is a Professor of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She directs the Master of Science in Computational Design Practices (MS_CDP) program and the Center for Spatial Research (CSR), while coordinating the Visual Studies curriculum.

Her research examines the ethics and politics of digital mapping, the art and science of data visualization, and design environments for public engagement with spatial data. CSR's work has been exhibited at major international venues including the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Venice Biennale, and Palais De Tokyo, with permanent collections in MoMA and Fondation Cartier.

Notable publications include:

• Close Up at a Distance: Mapping, Technology, and Politics (Zone Books, 2013)
• Ways of Knowing Cities (Columbia Books on Architecture, 2019)

Scientific awards include:

• United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship (2009)
• Metropolis Game Changer (2012)

As Principal Investigator, she has secured research funding from the Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, Andrew W Mellon Foundation, and Gardiner Foundation. Current research focuses on justice mapping, conflict urbanism, spatial inequality, and algorithms in social justice contexts.