Laura Smith

Laura Smith teaches courses in urban economic geography, US and Canada and statistical research methods. She also teaches an urban GIS seminar that connects the class with a community-based project. Her recent research projects have focused on mortgage foreclosure patterns in the Twin Cities, transportation and development, and on issues of American Indian land ownership.

Laura Smith is a recipient of the Association of American Geographers’ Enhancing Diversity Award for pioneering efforts toward encouraging a more diverse discipline over the past decade by working to expand the presence and participation of indigenous peoples in the AAG, and geography more broadly, through sustained partnerships and visionary leadership in the association, academia, and beyond.

SELECTED WORKS OF LAURA SMITH in the Macalester Digital Commons

Courses

• • GEOG 242:  Regional Geography of the US and Canada
  • GEOG 262:  Metro Analysis
  • GEOG 365:  Urban GIS
  • GEOG 378:  Statistical Research Methods in Geography
  • GEOG 476: Transportation Geography Seminar

Links for Geography course syllabi can be found on our Course Syllabi page.

Civic Engagement Projects

*The project reports listed below may be downloaded in their entirety from the Geography Department’s Community Engagement page

• • • • • • 2024:  Understanding the present and future of the Hayden Heights Public Library
          • 2019:  St. Paul 3K: Mapping Access to Childcare in St. Paul
          • 2018:  Saint Paul 3K
          • 2017:  Mapping the Community Context of the Northside Achievement Zone
          • 2016:  Examining the Context of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ)
          • 2015:  Identifying Leading Indicators of Gentrification
          • 2014:  The Minnehaha Creek Watershed:  Mapping the Master Water Stewards Program
          • 2013:  Minneapolis Riverfront Vitality Indicators Project
          • 2012:  Examining Local Housing Markets: Five Twin Cities Neighborhood Profiles
          • 2010:  Mapping Indian Land Tenure in Minnesota
          • 2009:  Changing Conditions and Neighborhood Stabilization in North Minneapolis Neighborhoods
          • 2008:  Examining Spatial Mismatch in the Twin Cities Metro
          • 2006:  North Minneapolis: Examining Neighborhood Trends with GIS
          • 2005:  Land Use Regulations in the Twin Cities: Spatial Trends
          • 2004:  Foreclosures in the Twin Cities: Analysis of Spatial Trends

        
        ATLAS
        St. Paul’s University Avenue: Before the Central Corridor

        1. Front matter and Introduction

        2. The Built Environment

        3. Economic Impacts of the Built Environment

        4. Social Impacts of the Built Environment

        5. Transportation and Accessibility along University Ave.

        6. Gentrification and Conclusion