Sean Kennedy

Dr. Kennedy’s research analyzes the relationship between environmental planning and regional development, with an emphasis on how urban sustainability initiatives shape economies and livelihoods in rural and peri-urban regions. His research and teaching interests span areas of urban sustainability, international planning, environmental governance, and regional development, with a geographic focus on Indonesia and the United States.

Sean’s current research examines the forms of land use and livelihood transformation associated with Indonesia’s efforts to transition to renewable energy. By focusing on the specific ways that the costs and benefits associated with renewable energy projects affect local communities, this project aims to provide valuable insights for environmental planners and policymakers in the global South seeking to address the challenges posed by climate change in a way that is socially and environmentally just.

Sean has wide-ranging environmental policy experience across public, private and nonprofit sectors, including policy and research positions at the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in Canberra, Australia, and the World Agroforestry Centre in Bogor, Indonesia. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2018. Upon the completion of his doctoral study, he worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA, where he contributed technical expertise and supported stakeholder engagement as part of the Los Angeles County Sustainability Plan.

Joined 2019

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