Abstract

Trauma deeply influences many contexts in which planners operate. And, the effects of global climate change are already disproportionately impacting communities and will exacerbate the effects of trauma. In order to effectively engage with communities that have experienced trauma, increased attention is being paid to “trauma-informed and healing-centered” (TIHC) practices, which has roots in mental and behavioral health service provision. Less addressed is how broader systemic transformation of the unjust institutions of planning can occur through TIHC methods. In this talk I present our experiences trying to operationalize the principles of TIHC planning through several participatory action research projects in Roanoke, Virginia. The talk will touch on: the roles of local and scientific knowledge in planning, intergenerational community engagement, and the prospects of achieving personal and broader cultural transformation within the institutions of planning.

Bio

Theo Lim is an assistant professor of urban affairs and planning in Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs. He specializes in research and teaching in urban environmental and climate adaptation planning, environmental science-policy interfaces, and community engagement. He is currently the Principal Investigator of several projects funded by the NSF CAREER Program, the NSF CIVIC Innovation Program, and NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program. Theo also serves on the Editorial Team of the journal Planning Theory & Practice.
Outside academia, Theo has worked in community organizing, civil and environmental engineering and infrastructure masterplanning, public health, and in the agriculture technology industry. He received his PhD in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, Master in Environmental Science from Tsinghua University, and Bachelor’s degree in Immigrant Studies from Swarthmore College. He grew up in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, and has also lived in New York City, Philadelphia, Oakland California, St Louis Missouri, and Beijing, China. He now resides with his wife, son, and dog in Blacksburg, Virginia.