Trevor Barnes

Trevor Barnes is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia (UBC), with affiliations to the Faculty of Arts and the Science and Technology Studies program. His work bridges historical geography, economic geography, and critical political ecology, focusing on the intersections of capitalism, colonialism, and spatial governance.

• Education:
  • PhD in Geography, University of Minnesota (1983)
  • MA in Geography, University of Minnesota
  • BSc in Economics, University College London

His research spans Cold War geographies, the role of geographers in intelligence work, colonial and capitalist environmental impacts, and the critical analysis of market-driven approaches to biodiversity. Recent publications examine ideological landscapes, pragmatist economic geography, and the legacies of influential geographers like Cole Harris and David Lowenthal.

Key trends in his work include:

• Analysis of capitalist spatial practices in environmental governance
• Historical connections between academic disciplines and military-industrial complexes
• Decolonial approaches to knowledge production and land politics
• Critical engagement with GIS and big data in Cold War contexts

Scientific awards include:

• Distinguished University Scholar
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
• Fellow of the British Academy

Barnes has supervised numerous doctoral students, including Max Cohen (PhD Geography, 2024, on Marx’s suppressed theory of history). His collaborations with scholars like Eric Sheppard and Brett Christophers have produced foundational texts on radical geography and economic theory. His fieldwork and archival research inform comparative studies of urban governance, including climate policy in Durban and Portland, and the socioecological impacts of infrastructure projects like the Trans Mountain Pipeline.