Margaret Cowell

About Margaret Cowell

Margaret Cowell, PhD (she/her) is an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech, teaching economic development and public policy courses. She holds a Ph.D in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University, a Master of Urban Planning from SUNY Buffalo, and a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University.

Areas of Expertise

Economic Development, Community Development, Regional Planning

Selected Publications

Cowell, M. & Lyon-Hill, S. (Eds.) (2022) Vibrant Virginia: Engaging the Commonwealth to Expand Economic Vitality and Inclusivity. VT Publishing. ISBN-10 ?1949373851


Cowell M. (2014). Dealing with Deindustrialization: Adaptive Resilience in American Midwestern Regions. Routledge. ISBN 9781138791367
Cowell, M., Haskins, C., & Sayed, S. (2023). “Understanding economic development organization efforts to advance inclusive economic recovery in Virginia.” Economic Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891242423115689, Cowell, M. & Cousins, T. (2022). “Equity in the era of 100 Resilient Cities: A qualitative comparative analysis of resilience strategies in the US.” Cities. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.103946

Recent Courses Taught

UAP 5234: Urban Economy, Equity, and Society, UAP 5134: Gateway to Planning, UAP 5784: Local Economic Development Planning, UAP 5784: Community Resilience