Dr. Suzanne Harris Brandts

Biography

Suzanne Harris-Brandts is an Assistant Professor at Carleton University, specializing in Contemporary Politics, Built Environment, and City Building. Holding degrees from the University of Waterloo and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she is also a licensed architect and a founding partner at Collective Domain. Her research integrates design and social sciences, focusing on issues of power, equity, and collective identity within the built environment. Her work spans various topics including iconic city building, mega-projects, and incentivized urbanism. She has significantly contributed to the understanding of how design interacts with socio-political contexts, particularly in regions like the South Caucasus and the Balkans. Harris-Brandts has received several research grants, including SSHRC Insight Development Grant and Insight Grant, exploring themes related to urban development, heritage diplomacy, and Latin American geopolitics. Through her publications, she addresses the complexities of urbanism, public policy, and community resilience in the face of conflicts and displacement. She is actively engaged in scholarly activities that examine the relationship between architecture and social dynamics, contributing to the field with her insights and analyses.

Research Interests