Sara Jensen Carr

Sara Jensen Carr is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University within the College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD). She is a registered architect and co-founder of the Health and Wellness Design Lab at CAMD’s Center for Design, with affiliate appointments at the Global Resilience Institute, the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, and the Masters of Urban Planning and Policy program.

• PhD, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, University of California, Berkeley
• MLA, University of California, Berkeley
• M. Arch., Tulane University

Her research explores the intersection of urban landscape, disease history, and social equity. She investigates how epidemics have shaped built environments through participatory public realm design and community-driven research. Key themes include health commodification, climate justice, and equitable green space distribution.

Scientific awards include the John Brinckerhoff Jackson Book Prize (2022) and the American Society of Landscape Architects award (2022). Her 2021 book The Topography of Wellness received acclaim for analyzing how health narratives have influenced American urban planning and environmental design.

Carr has secured grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mellon Foundation, Graham Foundation, and J.M. Kaplan Fund. She collaborates with nonprofits, local governments, and park conservancies on projects addressing social determinants of health and resilient urban systems.