Master's Theses 2021 to 2027

Thesis: How Flood Model Selection (FEMA vs. FS-FM) Shapes Roadway Vulnerability and Criticality Assessments
Topic: Flood Modeling and Infrastructure Risk
Author: Courtney King
Advisor: Shan Jiang
Reader(s): Farshid Vahedifard

Thesis: Where the Grass Isn’t Greener: Examining Green Space Equity Across Racial and Economic Lines
Topic: Environmental Justice and Urban Green Space
Author: Aaron Yontrarak
Advisor: Rebecca Shakespeare
Reader(s): Kate Davies

Thesis: Priorities in Climate Change Adaptation: An Analysis of Four Tribal and Non-Tribal Plans      
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning      
Author: Alexandra Duprey 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Kristin Skrabut 

Thesis: Conserving the Asian Elephant in Xishuangbanna, China: A Spatial Analysis to Re-Evaluate Asian Elephant Conservation Using Remote Sensing and GIS      
Topic: Natural Resources Policy & Management      
Author: Ziyi Wang 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Aggeliki Barberopoulou 

Thesis: Social-Ecological Interactions on the Coast: Cumulative Pressures on Working Waterfronts in Harpswell, Maine      
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning      
Author: Stephanie Sun 

Advisor:  Kathryn Davies 
Reader(s): Jon Witten 

Thesis: Pedals in Parks: Promoting Conservation and Accessibility in the National Parks via E-Bikeshare Programs      
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning      
Author: Alison Christensen 

Advisor:  Aggeliki Barberopoulou 
Reader(s): Mark Chase 

Thesis: Navigating Working Waterfront Preservation & Redevelopment: The Case of New Bedford, Massachusetts       
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning      
Author: Nathaniel King 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Kathryn Davies 

Thesis: Building Power: Tenant Organizing, Community Land Trusts, and the Right to the City       
Topic: Housing Policy      
Author: Josh McLinden 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: Planning for and Development of Electrical Transmission Lines: A Discussion of Best Practices       
Topic: Energy Policy & Planning      
Author: Kelan Koncewicz 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Mary Davis 

Thesis: Climate Action at U.S. Higher Education Institutions: State Climate Policy, Climate Action Plans, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions       
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning      
Author: Margaret Pendleton 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Fluid Conversations: Equity Considerations in a Managed Retreat Context      
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning       
Author: Sonya Sternlieb 

Advisor:  Kari Hewitt 
Reader(s): Julian Agyeman 

Thesis: Community-Based Adaptation Approaches to Climate Change: Social and Equitable Resilience in East Boston       
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning      
Author: Robyn Lee 

Advisor:  Christine Cousineau 
Reader(s): Kathryn Davies 

Thesis: Parking Lot Cities: Examining the Impacts of Parking Policy Reform on Autocentric Development Patterns in Buffalo, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut       
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning       
Author: Brenna Trollinger  

Advisor:  Christine Cousineau 
Reader(s): Mark Chase 

Thesis: The Resource Tradeoffs of Green Space and Water Conservation in Los Angeles: A Spatial Analysis of Vegetated Cooling and Water Use      
Topic: Urban Planning & Design      
Author: Emily Wood 

Advisor:  Kathryn Davies 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Restaurants and Food Justice in Boston: A Case Study of Mei Mei      
Topic: Agriculture and Food Systems Policy & Planning      
Author: Valeria Menendez 

Advisor:  Julian Agyeman 
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: Cultivating Community: Examining Climate Resilience in Medford’s Community Gardens      
Topic: Urban Planning & Design      
Author: Ryn Piasecki 

Advisor:  Christine Cousineau 
Reader(s): Kari Hewitt 

Thesis: Building Power Through Knowledge: Designing Boston’s Participatory Budgeting Process as a Popular Education Tool      
Topic: Solidarity Economy Policy      
Author: Johnny Shively 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): May Louie 

Thesis: Making Sense of Place: An Ethnography of Toxicant Encounters in South Portland, Maine      
Topic: Community Resilience and Urban Planning      
Author: Lucy Perkins 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: Urbanization of Metropolitan Houston, Texas (2015-2022): How Has the City Been Developed After Hurricane Harvey?      
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning      
Author: Wen-Ying Wu 

Advisor:   Aggeliki Barberopoulou 
Reader(s): Magaly Koch 

Thesis: Point of Interest Foot Traffic Data and Pandemic-Induced Changes in Mobility Patterns: An Exploratory Analysis of Greater Boston       
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning       
Author: Zachary Gavel 

Advisor:  Shan Jiang 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: A Comparative Analysis of Wildlife Conservation in the US and India       
Topic: Natural Resources Policy & Management      
Author: Sara Singh 

Advisor:  Charles Chester 
Reader(s): Kathryn Davies 

Thesis: Noise in My Backyard: What Soundscapes Can Tell Us About Gentrification      
Topic: Housing Policy      
Author: Marquez Monroe 

Advisor:  Christine Cousineau 
Reader(s): Greses Pérez, Erica Walker. 

Thesis: Protection for All: Examining Protected Areas’ Impact on People and Biodiversity in Muchinga Province, Zambia       
Topic: Natural Resources Policy & Management     
Author: Lydia Eldridge 

Advisor:  Kathryn Davies 
Reader(s): Laurie Gaskins Baise 

Thesis: Open for Whom? An Equity Analysis of New York’s Open Streets Program     
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning     
Author: Erwin Figueroa 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Mark Chase 

Thesis: Towards Universal Rental Assistance: An Empirical Study of Housing Choice Voucher Holders’ Relocation Patterns, Neighborhood Quality, and Household Characteristics in Massachusetts     
Topic: Housing Policy     
Author: Mitesha Shakya 

Advisor:  Jeffrey Zabel 
Reader(s): Shomon Shamsuddin 

Thesis: Promoting Wellness in Underserved Communities: Issues, Design Guidelines, and Programming     
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Brooke Siggers 

Advisor:  Christine Cousineau 
Reader(s): Julian Agyeman 

Thesis: Buildout Analysis: A Study of Nantucket with Climate Change Considerations    
Topic: Land Use and Climate Change Policy & Planning     
Author: Sydnie Picard 

Advisor:  Kathryn Davies 
Reader(s): James Limbrunner 

Thesis: Food Plans as a Platform to Amplify Food Justice     
Topic: Food Systems Policy & Planning    
Author: Anna Bury 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Julian Agyeman 

Thesis: Climate Change Readiness and the Informal Sector: A Spatial and Policy Analysis of Kampala, Uganda    
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Srilekha Murthy 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Karen Jacobsen 

Thesis: A Geospatial Analysis of Climate Change Vulnerability in Ethiopia    
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning     
Author: Rachel Herman 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Equitable Climate Adaptation at the Watershed Scale: Neponset River Watershed Association as a Case Study     
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Kayla Patel 

Advisor:  Julian Agyeman 
Reader(s): Laurie Goldman 

Thesis: Centering Equity and Justice in the Emerging Concept of Nature-Based Solutions in Massachusetts     
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Perri Sheinbaum 

Advisor:  Julian Agyeman 
Reader(s): Christine Cousineau 

Thesis: Exploring the Role of Land Tenure in Affecting Climate Adaptation Ability on the Caribbean Island of Barbuda    
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Danielle Jameson 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut  
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: Evaluating the Equity of Complete Streets in Massachusetts     
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Kelsey Tustin 

Advisor:  Shan Jiang 
Reader(s): Mark Chase 

Thesis: A Massachusetts-Based Inquiry into the Opportunities and Barriers to Equitable Relocation Away from Coastal Flood Risks     
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Maggie Peard 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Kari Hewitt 

Thesis: Food, Feed, Fuel: Division of Water Quantity Impacts on Agricultural Use Allocations and Policy Options in Northeast China     
Topic: Water and Agriculture Policy     
Author: Allison Meyer 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Timothy Griffin 

Thesis: Planning for a Disrupted Future: Modeling the Effects of Sea Level Rise on Endangered Shorebird Habitat on Nantucket Island    
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning     
Author: Jarrod McCarthy 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Co-Producing Parks: How Can Communities Be Involved in Their Design, Management, and Programming?    
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Madeleine Kelly 

Advisor:  Julian Agyeman 
Reader(s): Christine Cousineau 

Thesis: People-Centered Development: Alternative Ways of Developing Real Estate in the United States    
Topic: Housing Policy    
Author: Nicole Stephens 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare 

Thesis: The Walkable Neighborhood and Public Art Testing a Method for Objectively Measuring a Perceptual Urban Design Quality     
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Lindsay Naughton 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Christine Cousineau 

Thesis: Understanding Stormwater Policy Gaps: A Case Study of Two Municipalities in Eastern Massachusetts     
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Katherine Swan 

Advisor:  Mary Davis, Shelly Krimsky 
Reader(s): Scott Horsley 

Thesis: Comparing Two Metrics of Water Affordability in Eastern Massachusetts     
Topic: Urban Policy & Planning    
Author: Kathryn Fiducia 

Advisor:  Rebecca Shakespeare 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: The Rise of YIMBY: A Discourse Analysis of the Housing Debate on Twitter    
Topic: Housing Policy     
Author: Connor Ring 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare 

Thesis: Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): An approach to revitalize the Gateway City of Lowell, MA    
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning     
Author: Shravanthi Gopalan Narayanan 

Advisor:  Christine Cousineau 
Reader(s): Shan Jiang 

Thesis: Circular Economy and Secondhand Clothing Businesses     
Topic: Economic Development and Fiscal Policy    
Author: Joann Lai 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Kathryn Davies 

Thesis: The Resilience of Transit-Dependent Communities During COVID-19 in the Boston Metropolitan Area    
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Yan Sun 

Advisor:  Shan Jiang 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Equitable Planning of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations     
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Yvette Niwa 

Advisor:  Shan Jiang 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Safety and Urban Parks: A Geospatial Analysis to Examine Safety Concerns    
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Brita Dawson 

Advisor:  Rebecca Shakespeare 
Reader(s): Justin Hollander 

Thesis: Implementing Fair Housing Zoning in Boston: Re-Envisioning Structures for Community Engagement    
Topic: Housing Policy   ��� 
Author: Andrea Duarte 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Laurie Goldman 

Thesis: Developing a Practitioner’s Guide to Evaluation Youth-Adult Partnership in Community Based Programs     
Topic: Community Development Policy & Planning    
Author: Katherine Shor 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare 

Thesis: Water and Transfer in Unofficial Interventions: A Case Study of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in the 1990s     
Topic: International Environmental Policy    
Author: Franklin Crump 

Advisor:  Melissa McCracken 
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: Measuring Mobility Segregation with Bikeshare Data: A Tale of Four U.S. Cities    
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Rebecca Wolfson 

Thesis: The Spatial Variability of COVID-19 in Massachusetts: Implications for Sustainable Development    
Topic: Urban Policy & Planning    
Author: Peiyao Wang 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan  
Reader(s): Mary Davis 

Thesis: Participatory Democracy for Community Control of Development: A Case Study of the Upham’s Corner Implementation Process    
Topic: Community Development Policy & Planning    
Author: Luisa de Paula Santos 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Kristin Skrabut 

Thesis: Bus Transit Accessibility and Equitability for Vulnerable Populations in Metro Boston, Ma: COVID-19 Beyond    
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning     
Author: Jessica Wilson 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Mark Chase 

Thesis: Where to Pilot more frequent MBTA Commuter Rail Service: A Suitability Analysis based on Measures of Access    
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Greg Hanafin 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Environmental Justice in Lowell, MA: An Exploration of Opportunities for New Green Space     
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Elizabeth Rickley 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Exploring the Equity Implications of Green Stormwater Infrastructure Planning in Pittsburgh, PA    
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Rachel Bowers 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Christine Cousineau 

Thesis: Prioritizing Transportation Equity: Fare-Free Bus Programs in Lawrence and Worcester, Massachusetts    
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Ginger Leib 

Advisor:  Shomon Shamsuddin 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare 

Thesis: Coastal Resiliency for All: Equity and Climate Preparedness in the Lower Mystic River Watershed    
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Andrew Taylor 

Advisor:  Ann Rappaport 
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: An Evaluation of Small At-Scale Water Safety Plan Quality in Vanuatu    
Author: Annaliese Keimel 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Daniele Lantagne, Gabrielle String. 

Thesis: Identifying Differences in the Household and Neighborhood Factors Associated with Formal and Informal Evictions     
Topic: Housing Policy    
Author: Elizabeth Lochhead 

Advisor:  Shomon Shamsuddin 
Reader(s): Jeffrey Zabel 

Thesis: COVID Opens the Door: Measuring Crisis-Related Residential Mobility Trends in New York City     
Topic: Housing Policy    
Author: Andrew Schloss 

Advisor:  Rebecca Shakespeare 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Participation, Deliberation, and Local Government: The Connection Between Cambridge Participatory Budgeting and Civic Engagement     
Topic: Alternative Methods for Community Engagement    
Author: Lev McCarthy 

Advisor:  Shomon Shamsuddin 
Reader(s): Kristin Skrabut 

Thesis: Changing Tides: A Review of Cape Cod’s Suburbanization and Its Suitability for MBTA Commuter Rail Service     
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Patrick Higgins 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): Mark Chase 

Thesis: The Road to Racial Reconciliation: An Exploration of How the Syracuse Vineyard Church’s Northside Community Center can Advance Justice     
Topic: Community Development Policy & Planning    
Author: Makayla Comas 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare 

Thesis: Getting to the Grocery Store: Planning Transportation Systems for Food Access     
Topic: Transportation and Food Systems Policy    
Author: Allison Wainer 

Advisor:  Laurie Goldman 
Reader(s): Sean Cash 

Thesis: Creative Community Control: A Case Study of Creative Engagements in Upham’s Corner    
Topic: Community Development Policy & Planning    
Author: Molly Kaviar 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Laurie Goldman 

Thesis: Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Landscapes: Three Case Studies    
Topic: Urban Planning & Design    
Author: Aqsa Butt 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Jon Witten 

Thesis: The Association between Environmental Justice and Tweet Sentiment: A Case Study in New York City    
Topic: Urban Planning & Community Development    
Author: Yi Zhong 

Advisor:  Justin Hollander 
Reader(s): Sumeeta Srinivasan 

Thesis: Identifying Priority Communities for Precision Public Health in New York City during the COVID-19 Pandemic via Subway Data    
Topic: Public Health Policy & Planning    
Author: Elizabeth Marsh 

Advisor:  Shan Jiang 
Reader(s): Elena Naumova 

Thesis: Re-Establishing the South Central Farm: Community Organizing for Food Justice and Land Access in Los Angeles     
Topic: Community Development and Food Systems Policy and Planning    
Author: Miranda Evita Briseño 

Advisor:  Julian Agyeman 
Reader(s): Penn Loh 

Thesis: Cada Uno ‘Pa Su Casa: An Analysis of Home as Context     
Topic: Housing Policy    
Author: Guadalupe Garcia Rodriguez 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Laurie Goldman 

Thesis: Equity in Socio-Technical Transitions Comparing the Green Revolution to Low Carbon Transitions in India     
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Anisha Nazareth 

Advisor:  Kristin Skrabut 
Reader(s): Eric Kemp-Benedict 

Thesis: An Analysis of the Influence of H+T Index on Housing Prices     
Topic: Housing Policy     
Author: Nilakshi Chatterji 

Advisor:  Sumeeta Srinivasan 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare 

Thesis: A “Civil Rights Amendment” to Boston’s Zoning Code: Using Fair Housing Language to Address Displacement and Exclusion     
Topic: Housing Policy    
Author: Bailey Hu 

Advisor:  Shomon Shamsuddin 
Reader(s): Laurie Goldman 

Thesis: When the Planner Hits the Road: A Study of Roadway Conditions from Year to Year in New York City Using Roadway Assessment Rating Data     
Topic: Transportation Policy and Planning    
Author: Yue Wang 

Advisor:  Rebecca Shakespeare 
Reader(s): Shomon Shamsuddin 

Thesis: The Need for Rational Land Use Decisions in Massachusetts: Recommending Massachusetts Adopt the Rhode Island Land Use Regulatory Framework    
Topic: Land Use Policy & Planning     
Author: Dominic Leonardo 

Advisor:  Jon Witten 
Reader(s): William Fazioli 

Thesis: Understanding the Passage and Expiration of Massachusetts’ Unprecedented Statewide Eviction Moratorium     
Topic: Housing Policy     
Author: Kathryn Wassam 

Advisor:  Rebecca Shakespeare 
Reader(s): Rosalind Greenstein 

Thesis: Defining Resiliency in Dorchester: A Climate Action Research Project to Understand Vietnamese American Residents’ Relationship with Climate Change    
Topic: Climate Change Policy & Planning    
Author: Hoai Thuong Tran 

Advisor:  Penn Loh 
Reader(s): Rebecca Shakespeare