Setha Low

Setha Low is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (GC CUNY). She directs the Public Space Research Group (PSRG), focusing on interdisciplinary urban studies. Her work examines public space, security, inequality, and environmental psychology through ethnographic and participatory methodologies.

Research interests include the sociocultural dimensions of urban space, securityscapes, gentrification, and the intersection of environmental justice with public health. She has pioneered frameworks linking spatial analysis with social justice principles, particularly regarding marginalized populations' access to urban resources.

Recent articles emphasize the politicization of public spaces, security capitalism's impact, and pandemic effects on aging populations. Her work often critiques privatization trends and advocates for equitable urban policies. Key contributions include the People, Place, and Space Reader and the Toolkit for the Ethnographic Study of Space (TESS).

Recipient of the SUNTA Senior Scholar/Lifetime Award (2017), her career exemplifies engaged scholarship addressing urgent urban challenges. The PSRG fosters collaborative research on topics like coastal conservation, gated communities, and pandemic responses.