Dr. Bjorn Sletto

Biography

Bjorn Sletto is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University and has over 20 years of experience in Latin America and the Caribbean. His research focuses on indigenous resource management, sustainable development, and environmental planning in Latin America, examining the tensions between local knowledge and formal planning approaches. He has lived in indigenous villages near the Venezuela-Colombia border, investigating conflicts associated with fire management and leading participatory mapping projects to assist in land demarcation for the Pemon indigenous community. Sletto teaches courses on Geographic Information Systems, environmental justice, and planning development in Latin America. His work emphasizes community engagement and participatory research, including collaborations with local organizations and students on projects addressing environmental justice issues. Sletto's selected publications explore various aspects of environmental knowledge production and indigenous landscapes, contributing to both academic and practical discourses in planning and environmental management.

Research Interests

Courses