About Meaghan McSorley
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. I am broadly interested in planners' effectiveness, and I explore this through three interconnected research areas: planning education and professional development, the theory and professional practice of urban planning, and the advancement of healthy and livable communities. I'm committed to bridging research and practice by developing not only scholarly publications but also applied outputs for the American Planning Association.
Areas of Expertise
Healthy community development, planning practice and educationSelected Publications
McSorley, M. Interactive Skills in Planning: Framing, Guidance, and Gaps. (2026). Journal of the American Planning Association. 0(0), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2026.2644332
Rodríguez Dalmau, A., McSorley, M., Holmes, T. J., & Botchwey, N. (2026). The interplay of climate coloniality and insurgent planning in the Dominican Republic’s Ozama River Basin. Geoforum, 174, 104693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2026.104693
McSorley, M., Webb, D., Williams, K., Lyles, W., & Botchwey, N. (2025). Can Self-Understanding Foster Feelings of Professional Responsibility among Planning Students? Journal of Planning Education and Research, 46(3), 728-742. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X251367378
McSorley, M. (2024). “Empathy in Planning,” Planning Advisory Service QuickNote, on behalf of the American Planning Association. https://www.planning.org/pas/quicknotes/109/empathy-in-planning/
Botchwey, N., McSorley, M., and Umstattd Meyer, R. (2022). Chapter 2: Physical Activity and the Built Environment, in Making Healthy Places (2nd edition). California: Island Press.
Recent Courses Taught
URP 5101: Planning Practice and Theory
URP 5105: Developing Professional Judgement in Planning
URP 5479: Community Development
URP 5526: Healthy Communities (Beginning Spring 2028)
Assistant Professor