About María Arquero de Alarcón
I am passionate about education and curious about all things urban. At the University of Michigan, I am an Associate Professor in Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning, and I served as Director of the Master of Urban Design from 2015-2021. I am an avid collaborator and much of my work focuses on the co-generation of urban strategies that promote cultural and socio-environmental values. I advocate for urban design to embrace a spatial justice lens in the co-production of more humane urban futures, and I hope to connect with you if you are interested in integrating design and planning.
Selected Publications
Murray, M., Arquero de Alarcón, M., Chivite Amigo, O. (2025). “The Contested Urbanism of Abandonment: The Afterlife of Two Distressed Neighborhoods in Detroit.” International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. ||| Pimentel Walker, A. P., Arquero de Alarcón, M., Friendly, A., Barbosa, B. R., Ribeiro de Souza, M., & Nobre, S. C. S. (2024). “Activist Co-production for the Right to Occupy, Hold Ground, and Upgrade.” Planning Theory, 23(4). 324-355. Special issue Coproducing the just city: Interrogating the civil society/academy interface. ||| Pimentel Walker, A. P., Arquero de Alarcón, M., Penha Machado, M. F., & Avanci, J. L. (2024). “The Judicialization of the Planning Process in São Paulo’s Informal Settlements: Enforcing Housing and Environmental Rights through the Courts?” Journal of Planning Education and Research, 44(1), 115-127. ||| Pimentel Walker, A. P., Arquero de Alarcón, M., Santo Amore, C., Lopes dos Reis, N., Rajkumar Nair, N., Yelk, J., & Liu, Y. (2023). “Young Land Occupations and the Failure of Housing Policy in Brazil.” Housing Policy Debates, 33(3). 597–618. ||| Arquero de Alarcón, M. (2020). “Imag(e)ing the Urban Water Commons.” Journal of Architectural Education, 74(1), 49–59.
Recent Courses Taught
UD 715: Theories and Methods of Urban Design
Arch 672-UD 732: Interdisciplinary Research Studio
URP 551/Arch 506: Physical Planning Workshop
Arch 509: Climates: Actions for Good Living
Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning