About

My passion for urban planning and design comes from my previous activism and professional work in anti-displacement efforts in the Bay Area and Palestine. I learned from grassroots organizers about the constant contradictions of planning as both a tool of oppression and dispossession, but also a formative and even necessary tool for self determination and aspirational movement-building.

Embracing that climate change is the displacement crisis of our time, my work, research and aspirations draw heavily from this dialectic. Like any holistic system, my approach encompasses both hard and soft elements, merging technological and data-driven mapping tools with grassroots collaboration and a deep love for landscape.

I am always looking for new projects and partnerships that support bottom-up approaches to climate adaptation and provide bold visions for the future.

Contact me to collaborate or learn more at klmain@mit.edu or kelly@buy-in.org