Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am an urban cultural geographer whose work focuses on care, justice, sustainability, diverse economies and commons in the city. I am a Senior Lecturer in Geography and Planning at Macquarie University. My work focuses on how urban life could be made more just and caring for people and planet. I am currently the convenor of the research working group for the discipline of Geography and Planning in the Macquarie School of Social Sciences. I am a member of the Community Economies Institute and the Community Economies Research Network (International).
My work makes a contribution to urban studies and food geographies with a focus on everyday practices of care and justice across a range of empirical foci including community food provisioning initatives and common spaces in cities. My work has been published in leading international journals Antipode, Geoforum, Urban Studies, Geography Compass, Cities and Area. I am a member of the Editorial Board for Geographical Research and Geography Compass and am regularly asked to review papers for leading journals. I am experienced in leading research projects with industry partners including a recent pilot project on Vertical Villages with Faith Housing Alliance (formerly Churches Housing, supported by the Salvationa Army) and Baptist Care. I am regularly asked to speak and comment on issues relating to care and food in cities and am an active member of the Australian Right to Food Coalition.
I am currently working with on an ARC Linkage (2022-2025) with Transport for NSW on The Power of Public Spaces with Assoc/Prof Donna Houston, Assoc/Prof Kate Lloyd and Dr Justine Lloyd from the Macquarie School of Social Sciences.
In 2013 I recieved my PhD from the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. This work was published in Antipode, Urban Studies, Area, Geographical Research and Cities. In June 2018 I was invited to present a Keynote at the Institute of Australian Geographers Urban Study Group Symposium on Cities of Care. This paper is now published in Cities. In 2018 my paper titled Care-full Justice in the City was released online by the Antipode Foundation as part of a curated collection connected to the Association of American Geographers Annual Antipode lecture.
Research interests
My research explores everyday practices of justice and care in the city with a specific focus on community and urban commons. My current research focuses around seven main areas:
- Care-full Justice in the city
- A Feminist Ethics of care and the politics and practices of care
- Sustainability Practices
- Food justice and community food initiatives
- Diverse Economies, post-capitalist politics and commoning
- Urban Commons and urban planning theory
- Participatory methodologies and geographies of possibility
Teaching
I teach into both the undergraduate and postgraduate planning degrees. In 2022 I am teaching:
- GEOP8020 Healthy Cities: Planning for Wellbeing, Equity and Diversity (S1)
- GEOP2080 Planning and Development (S1)
- GEOP3070 Urban Economies (S2)
- GEOP1040 Planning Systems (S2)
Research student supervision
I am interested in supervising HDR students with the following research interests:
- Urban Studies
- Place-making and Public Space
- A Feminist Ethics of Care and the politics and practices of care
- Diverse economies, post-capitalist politics and community economies
- Urban Commons and commoning
- Community Food initiatives and Food Justice
Education/Academic qualification
Human Geography, PhD, University of Newcastle
Mar 2008 → Jun 2013
Award Date: 28 Jun 2013
Human Geography, Bachelor of Development Studies (Honours), University of Newcastle
Jan 2007 → Dec 2007
Award Date: 11 Dec 2007
Human Geography, Bachelor of Development Studies, University of Newcastle
Feb 2004 → Dec 2006
Award Date: 12 Dec 2006
External positions
Fixed Term Lecturer, University of Newcastle
Jan 2015 → Dec 2016
Research Assistance, University of Newcastle
Jan 2012 → Dec 2013
Casual Academic, University of Newcastle
Mar 2008 → 2013
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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LP21: The power of public spaces to connect communities and places
Houston, D., Lloyd, K., Williams, M., Lloyd, J., Butler-Bowdon, C., Fishburn, K., Kombumerri, D. & Gordon, V.
6/02/23 → 6/02/26
Project: Research
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MQEPS: Vertical Villages: Community, Place and Urban Density Pilot
Williams, M., Mitchell, E., Wise, A. & Ruming, K.
30/11/19 → 30/11/20
Project: Other
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The Australian Sustainable Household (ASH) database
Ruming, K., Houston, D., Fuller, S. & Williams, M.
1/01/19 → 31/12/19
Project: Research
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The geographies of community food provisioning in Metropolitan Sydney
1/01/19 → 31/12/20
Project: Other
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Caring in unequal worlds: tracing the hopes and troubles of Community Food Initiatives in Sydney
Williams, M. & Tait, L., 2023, Community food initiatives: a critical reparative approach. Morrow, O., Veen, E. & Wahlen, S. (eds.). London ; New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, p. 19-36 18 p. (Routledge Studies in Food, Society and the Environment).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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Community engagement and diverse river values: a case study of Dyarubbin
Frost, E., Williams, M. & McLean, J., 2023, In: Urban Policy and Research. 41, 3, p. 279-294 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Feminist ethics of care in urban food governance
Williams, M. J. & Sharp, E. L., 2023, Routledge handbook of urban food governance. Moragues-Faus, A., Clark, J. K., Battersby, J. & Davies, A. (eds.). London ; New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, p. 78-91 14 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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Growing, consuming, and wasting/disposing: a study of the sustainable food practices of Australian households
Williams, M. J., Ruming, K., Lee, D. J. & McCarthy, M., 25 Aug 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Local Environment. 17 p., 2249504.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Care-full food justice
Williams, M. J., Dec 2022, In: Geoforum. 137, p. 42-51 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Geographical Research (Journal)
Miriam Williams (Reviewer)
2022Activity: Peer-review and editorial of research outputs › Editorial work
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Expert Reflection on "Fair Food in the City": Dr Miriam Williams Australian Right to Food Coalition
Miriam Williams (Speaker)
2022Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
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Geography Compass (Journal)
Miriam Williams (Reviewer)
2022Activity: Peer-review and editorial of research outputs › Editorial work
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Community Economies Institute (External organisation)
Miriam Williams (Member)
2020 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of an association
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Institute of Australian Geographers (External organisation)
Miriam Williams (Member)
2018 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of network
Press/Media
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No Data, No Action? Australian Governments Need to Measure and Address Australia’s Growing Problem with Food Insecurity
Miriam Williams, Katherine Kent & Simone Sheriff
21/10/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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Community Food Provisioning in Sydney: Food Insecurity and Care
10/06/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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