Cornell Research

Expertise

Comparative urbanization in the global South, urban planning, urban poverty and inequality, community-based development, urban informality, urban services and infrastructure, urban water and sanitation infrastructure and services

Current Research Interest

In cities in the global South where much of the urban fabric is informal, communities plan, outside of, in collaboration with, and in opposition to formal planning and regulatory frameworks. In this context, my research focuses on poverty, inequality, and access to basic services, particularly water and sanitation, as well as the broader processes that create and sustain city-wide transformation.

Distinction

Fulbright Scholar (Indonesia)
Einaudi International Faculty Fellow

Selected Publications

Beard, Victoria A. “Community-Based Planning, Collective Action and the Challenges of Confronting Urban Poverty in Southeast Asia.” Environment and Urbanization (2018): 1-22. 

Beard, Victoria A., Anjali Mahendra, and Michael I. Westphal. 2016. “Towards a More Equal City: Framing the Challenges and Opportunities.” World Resources Report (2016): 1-46.

Cornell Research Website Article

Global South Communities and Urbanization