Doctor Laura Schatz

Dr Laura Schatz

Lecturer, Geography and Urban Studies

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Selected Publications
• Memberships and Engagement
• Contact Details

Biography

Laura Schatz is a Lecturer in Geography and Urban Studies. She originally joined UWS as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2010, after completing her PhD in Urban Planning at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Laura’s dissertation analyzed and compared the different approaches to urban planning (one growth-oriented and one decline-oriented) in two “shrinking” communities: Sudbury, Ontario and Youngstown, Ohio. Prior to her PhD studies, Laura worked as a lawyer in Toronto, Canada. Her research interests include: urban governance in shrinking cities; unpacking the neoliberal turn in urban planning; comparative planning and environmental regulation; the "culture" of planning procedure; strategic planning processes and outcomes; and planning in resource (particularly mining) communities.

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

Urban governance; Human geography; Planning and environmental regulation; Urban planning reforms; Resource communities

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Selected Publications

Journal Articles:

Martinez-Fernandez, C., Wu, C.T., Schatz, L.K., Taira, N., & Vargas-Hernández, J.G. (forthcoming 2011). The shrinking mining city: Urban dynamics and contested territory. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

Schatz, L. & Johnson, L. (2007). Smart City North: Economic and labour force impacts of call centres in Sudbury, Ontario. Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation, 1(2), 116-130.

Chadha, E. & Schatz, L. (2004). Human dignity and economic integrity for Persons with Disabilities: A commentary on the Supreme Court’s decisions in Granovsky and Martin. Journal of Law and Social Policy, 19, 94-122.

Book Chapters:

Schatz, L. (upcoming 2011). Four barriers to effective land use planning in shrinking hinterland communities. Submitted book chapter. David Leadbeater, Ed. Resources, Empire, and Labour. Fernwood Publications.

Schatz, L. (upcoming 2012). Starring and supporting roles in decline-oriented urban governance in Youngstown, Ohio. Submitted book chapter. Margaret Dewar and June Manning Thomas, Eds. Remaking the City after Abandonment. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Schatz, L., Leadbeater, D., Martinez-Fernandez, C., & Weyman, T. (upcoming 2011). From “up north” to “down under:” Dynamics of shrinkage in mining communities in Canada and Australia.” Submitted book chapter. Karina Pallagst and Thorsten Wiechmann, Eds. Stories of Tough Times: International perspectives and policy implications in shrinking cities. Routledge.

Conference Papers:

Schatz, L. (2011, June). Does the rhetoric of vision statements play a role in the reality of development assessment? Findings from three Local Government Areas in New South Wales. Presentation at the World Planning Schools Congress. (opens in a new window) Perth, Western Australia.

Schatz, L. (2009, May). The role of the planner in shrinking cities: A comparison of findings from Youngstown, Ohio and Sudbury, Ontario. Presentation at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological and Regional Development’s “Empty Country and Lively Cities” International
Conference. Berlin, Germany.

Schatz, L. (2008, July). Is the role of the planner changing in shrinking cities? A comparison of findings from Youngstown, Ohio and Sudbury, Ontario. Presentation at the 2008 Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ASCP) and Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) Joint Conference. Chicago, IL.

Schatz, L. (2008, July). Urban regeneration strategies in the face of long-term demographic change: Comparisons from Sudbury, Ontario and Youngstown, Ohio. Presentation at the Shrinking Cities International Research Network’s Annual PhD Academy. Chicago, IL.

Schatz, L. (2008, April). A tale of two shrinking cities: A comparison of planning strategies in the face of demographic decline in Sudbury, Ontario and Youngstown, Ohio. Presentation at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Urban Affairs Association. Baltimore, MD.

Gurstein, P., Schatz, L., Johnson, L., Tate, L., & Hallenbeck, J. (2007, October). Towards social justice: Participatory video as a planning tool. Presentation at the ACSP’s 48th Annual Conference. Milwaukee, WI.

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Memberships and Engagement

Membership:

Shrinking Cities International Research Network (SCIRN), (opens in a new window) Managing Board Member

International Academic Association on Planning, Law and Property Rights, (opens in a new window) Member

Law Society of Upper Canada, (opens in a new window) Member

Symposium Convened:

Piracha, A and Schatz, L. (2011). “Planning policy directions in New South Wales: Learning from Australian and international experiences.” University of Western Sydney, 12 July (Day-long workshop with international and Australian academics and New South Wales government officials)

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