Skip to main content
Programs Admissions Our Work Student Experience About
Programs
Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs Certficate Programs High School Summer Program
Admissions
Scholarships and Financial Aid Visit Information Sessions
Our Work
Faculty Research Professional Practice Student Work Research Centers & Institutes Research Labs Galleries and Exhibits
Student Experience
Campus to Capitol Mentoring Programs Student Organizations Spaces and Studio Education Abroad Competitions Professional Development Student Resources Alumni
About
People News and Events Accreditation Contact Us Giving
Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs Certficate Programs High School Summer Program
Scholarships and Financial Aid Visit Information Sessions
Faculty Research Professional Practice Student Work Research Centers & Institutes Research Labs Galleries and Exhibits
Campus to Capitol Mentoring Programs Student Organizations Spaces and Studio Education Abroad Competitions Professional Development Student Resources Alumni
People News and Events Accreditation Contact Us Giving

Kathryn (Kate) Howell

Home About People Kathryn (Kate) Howell
Portrait of Kathryn (Kate) Howell

Kathryn (Kate) Howell

Director, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education ; Associate Professor

klhowell@umd.edu

Anacostia Building

Kathryn Howell is the Director of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education and an Associate Professor, Urban Studies & Planning Program. Prior to coming to NCSG,  she was the co-founder and co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab and an associate professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Howell’s research unpacks concepts of physical and cultural displacement and power in changing communities and investigates ways that policy and planning can be used to address these issues. Specifically, she interrogates the polices, governance structures and roles of tenants and advocacy in the preservation of affordable housing. Further, she investigates ways that redevelopment, implementation and maintenance of cultural landscapes can facilitate or abridge the right to the city for communities of color. Her book, Affordable Housing Preservation in Washington, DC: A Framework for Local Funding, Collaborative Governance and Community Organizing for Change focuses on the ways tenants can be centered in policies and practices that keep housing affordable as cities change. As the co-founder of the RVA Eviction Lab, a community-responsive data initiative at VCU, she engaged with a range of community partners to ensure data supported housing justice efforts of organizers, service providers and policy advocates.

Before pursuing a Ph.D., Dr. Howell worked for Maryland and Washington, D.C. housing and community development agencies focusing on affordable housing preservation, state program monitoring and inclusionary zoning.

 

Education:
  • Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning, University of Texas - Austin
  • Master of Arts in Public Policy, Johns Hopkins University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Georgia

Department Information

  • National Center for Smart Growth and Research
  • Urban Studies & Planning
  • PhD in Urban and Regional Planning and Design
  • Faculty
School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
3835 Campus Drive, College Park, MD 20742
archinfo@umd.edu 301.405.8000