Assistant Professor
Department of City Planning
305A Architecture 2 Building
56 Curry Place
University of Manitoba
(Fort Garry Campus)
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2M6
Sarah Cooper
Education
- Ph.D. (Urban Planning and Policy), University of Illinois, Chicago
- M.C.P. (City Planning), University of Manitoba
- B.E.S. (Environmental Studies), York University
Professional memberships
- Canadian Institute of Planners
- Manitoba Professional Planners Institute
- Registered Professional Planner (RPP)
Research interests
Housing policy; housing and community development; neighbourhood change; planning in colonial contexts; Indigenous planning; neoliberal urbanism; community-based research.
Bio
My research interests focus on social policy and the implications of privatization and commodification of social programs. I approach my work with a social justice lens, seeking to identify and address inequity in policy development and implementation. My current research examines housing for low-income households in Canada, with a focus on the expiry of social housing funding agreements—an issue that will transform the landscape of housing and housing policy in Canada over the next few decades.
I grew up in Toronto, and completed a Bachelor of Environmental Studies at York University (Toronto), followed by a Master of City Planning at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg) and a PhD in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois (Chicago). Prior to completing my PhD, I worked as a Research Associate and Planner at the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources in Winnipeg, and as a researcher at the Manitoba office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. I have worked on a wide variety of research and planning projects, including neighbourhood housing plans, watershed and community plans, and housing and social policy analysis.
Select publications
Cooper, S. and J. Hajer. 2020. The COVID-19 Policy Response for Renters and Persons Experiencing Homelessness in Manitoba. In COVID-19 in Manitoba: Public Policy Responses to the First Wave. (pp. 173-180). Eds. A. Rounce and K. Levasseur. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.
Cooper, S., Hajer, J., and S. Plaut. 2020. Assisting Renters: A Critical Analysis of Manitoba’s Rent Assist in the Context of Canada’s National Housing Strategy. Winnipeg. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba.
Cooper, S. with M. Barchyn. (2018). Not Alone: Research as a Relational Process. In S. MacKinnon (Ed.), Practising Community-Based Participatory Research: Stories of engagement, empowerment and mobilization (162-175). Vancouver: Purich Books.
Cooper, S. (2018). Why Protecting Public Housing is Important. Winnipeg: Canadian Centre for Policy-Alternatives-Manitoba.
Cooper, S. (2015). A Terrific Loss: The Expiring Social Housing Operating Agreements in Manitoba. In J. Brandon and J. Silver (Eds.), Poor Housing: A Silent Crisis. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.
Cooper, S. and I. Skelton. (2015). Addressing Core Housing Need in Canada. Winnipeg, MB: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba. 50pp.
Cooper, S. (2014). The Meeting Place: Examining the Relationship Between Colonialism and Planning at The Forks, Winnipeg. In I. Skelton (Ed.), Decolonizing Planning: Experiences with Urban Aboriginal Communities and First Nations. Champaign, IL: Common Ground Publishing. 13pp.
Cooper, S. (2013). It’s Getting Great: Government Investment in Gilbert Park and Lord Selkirk Park. Winnipeg: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba. Available at www.policyalternatives.ca. 76pp.
Cooper, S. (2012). You Know You're Not Alone: Community Development in Public Housing. Winnipeg: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.