Brock Hicks
Urban Planning • Research • Climate Resilience
I am an urban planner and researcher working at the intersection of climate, displacement, and urbanization. I have 10+ years of experience in research, program management, community development, and housing and land use policy in Latin America, the US, and East Africa. I excel at self-directed projects, building strategic partnerships, and connecting the dots from the big picture to the details.
Three common threads tie my professional interests together: (1) rapid urbanization, displacement & migration, and inclusive climate action; (2) cities as frontline actors confronting spatial inequalities and climate change; and (3) the opportunity for cities to serve as centers for collaboration and innovation in governance and the co-production of knowledge and policy by local governments, grassroots organizations, and social movements.
See my interests, expertise and CV below. Use the website menu above to view selected publications and work samples.
Interests
Topics
Urban climate justice — urban social movements and informal settlement upgrading; locally-led adaptation and resilience; urban governance and grassroots partnerships; climate finance for urban adaptation
Urban migration — Rapid urbanization, climate displacement, protracted displacement in cities, mobility justice
Urban climate mitigation — land use, urban design and placemaking, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, urban forestry
Modes
Cross-sector collaboration (grassroots, local governments, civil society and academia) — co-research; co-production of knowledge, plans and policies; co-implementation
Cross-disciplinary action research; comparative research; learning exchanges
Narrative and cultural strategy for inclusive advocacy, planning and policy
User research and usability testing (for infrastructure and services design as well as educational and capacity- building materials)
Expertise
Inclusive, integrated urban planning for social justice and climate resilience; community development; housing and land use
Research: community-based participatory approach, qualitative methods, stats, GIS and data science
Project, program and partnership management
Writing, information design and storytelling, in various styles and for multiple audiences (academic articles, research summaries, case studies, blogs, instructional documentation, educational materials, video scripts)
Capacity building
