Photo of Collins, Lydia

Lydia Collins

Adjunct Professor

Urban Planning and Policy

About

Lydia Collins is an adjunct professor in the Urban Planning and Policy Department at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Brazil, focusing on comparative urbanism and policy mobilities. Her research investigates participatory design processes, with cases in Brazil, USA, Colombia and Ireland. She is also a practicing graphic anthropologist with the research group Change Stories at the University of Washington that explores using illustration to communicate about urban change.

Lydia is trained as an urban planner with a BA in Urban Development Studies and a MA in Urban and Environmental Planning, both from Tufts University. She has over 8 years of experience working in a variety of contexts including as a planner in Chicago with AECOM and IFF as well as a community organizer with DSNI Community Land Trust in Boston.