Rebecca Walker

Rebecca Walker is an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois, teaching courses in social-ecological systems, environmental planning, and environmental justice. Her research examines the intersection of housing policy, environmental planning, and climate resilience, with particular focus on how environmental injustices are produced and addressed through policy and grassroots activism.

Her research interests include green gentrification, green resilience infrastructure, parks and racial equity, planning history, and climate justice. She employs community-based research methods and collaborates with environmental justice organizers and local governments to advance environmental and racial justice in urban communities, particularly in Minneapolis and Chicago.

Walker has supervised master's student Nicholas Collins (2024) on a capstone project examining state flood resilience governance. She received her PhD in urban and regional planning from the University of Minnesota with specializations in environmental planning and geospatial analysis.