Michael Allen

Michael Allen is a Visiting Assistant Professor at West Virginia University. His research focuses on historic preservation, architectural history, and the political meanings embedded in built environments. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham (2024) and a B.A. from Union Institute and University (2002). His work examines the intersection of urban development, gentrification, and social equity, particularly through projects in St. Louis and New York City. Allen has led preservation initiatives, including founding the Preservation Research Office and directing the National Building Arts Center.

Research Interests: Allen explores the social function of heritage conservation, the encoding of political ideologies in architecture, and the contestation of urban landscapes. His projects include studies on racial segregation in urban design and the historicization of modernist mass housing. Key publications include Dissonant Modernism (2024) and Housing Blocs (2024).

Grants and Collaborations: Funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Divided City Initiative, Allen co-led Housing Blocs, a transnational study of mass housing in the US and postsocialist Europe. His exhibitions, such as Urban Archaeology: Lost Buildings of St. Louis, blend scholarly research with public engagement.