Dr. Donna Houston

Biography

Professor Donna Houston is an urban cultural geographer working at the intersection of urban environmental change. Her research explores social and creative methods that respond to socio-ecological challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, with a particular focus on advancing environmental multispecies justice in climate-affected regions. She is also concerned with planning caring multispecies cities and public spaces and governing life on a warming planet. Professor Houston examines the geographies of extinction, ecological loss, and repair, using storytelling and creative methodologies to address socio-ecological challenges. She is a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts (2026–2029) and the Deputy Director of Research at the Urban Policy Planning Centre at Macquarie University, leading transdisciplinary projects in collaboration with government and community sectors to improve the liveability of cities for more-than-human communities. Donna is a founding member and co-leader of the Shadow Places Network, an international collective of scholars and artists reimagining relationships between people and places amid planetary change. She is currently a Chief Investigator on five Australian Research Council projects, all contributing to reimagining urban futures that are inclusive and responsive to planetary change.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards