Leah Meisterlin

Leah Meisterlin is an Assistant Professor in Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), specializing in Urban Planning since 2016. A recipient of the 2019 Presidential Teaching Award, she holds dual Columbia degrees: M.S. in Urban Planning (2006) and M.Arch (2009).

Her research interrogates spatial justice, informational ethics, and infrastructural networks' impact on social/political space through GIS methodologies. Key focus areas include:

• Equity-driven urban design
• Housing policy analysis
• Architecture's societal implications
• Networked urban ecologies

Professor Meisterlin's scholarly output centers on critical housing studies and spatial justice, notably through 'Comments on Foreclosed' (2013) and 'The Buell Hypothesis' (2011). Her work spans architecture, geography, and public health journals, emphasizing interdisciplinary connections between physical infrastructure and social equity.

Key recognition:

• 2019 Presidential Teaching Award (Columbia University's highest teaching honor)

Her collaborative research extends beyond GSAPP through appointments at Columbia's Temple Hoyne Buell Center and NYU's Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health. While no formal lab is documented, her work involves cross-institutional teams analyzing urban systems through spatial justice frameworks.