Research

My research explores the relationship between speculative urbanism and environmental conflict in Central America. I investigate this topic from three perspectives: (1) speculative urbanism, looking at how real estate speculation shapes the form and rhythm of urban development in peri-urban and rural environments, (2) resource grabbing, looking at the institutional arrangements that facilitate the concentration of land and water rights among speculative or rent-seeking actors, and (3) elites and authoritarianism, looking at how real estate projects are incorporated into local processes of class and state formation.

I am also working on a second project that explores the resurgence of land reform as a public debate in El Salvador. Largely abandoned after the civil war, land reform has reemerged in response to rapid urbanization, agribusiness expansion, and mining. My project examines how environmental organizations in El Salvador are rethinking land reform beyond the classic economistic framework to address other pressing issues, such as climate vulnerability and water crisis.