Dr Naama Blatman-Thomas
Senior Lecturer
PhD, 2019 - Ben-Gurion University, Politics and Government
M.A., 2011 - Tel-Aviv University, Sociology & Anthropology
B.A., 2007 - Tel-Aviv University, Political Science, Sociology & Anthropology
Arts, Design & Architecture
Cities Institute
I am a Scientia Senior Lecturer at the Cities Institute. As an urban and political geographer, my work has focused on two geographical locations: Israel/Palestine and Australia. My work applies a comparative lens and collaborative research practice with Indigenous communities to interrogate the histories, lived realities and futures in-the-making of settler colonial cities. Using archival and ethnographic methods, I examine how cities are planned and re/developed considering enduring yet dynamic structures of settler colonial and Indigenous urbanisms.
I am alumnus of the Urban Studies Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2020-2023) and previously held the positions of Research Theme Fellow at Western Sydney University (2022-2024) and Lecturer in Urban Geography at The University of Sydney (2019-2022).
Prior to completing my PhD, I worked and volunteered for several years in Human Rights and Palestinian non-for-profit organisations in Israel, including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, The Galilee Society, Sadaka-Reut, and Bimkom-Planners for Planning Rights.
E-mail
Location
UNSW Cities Institute
Room 218, John Goodsell Building
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Selected:
Geographical Society of NSW/ Symposium Funding Scheme (2024)
Urban Studies Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2020-2023)
The Henry Halloran Trust/ Research Seminar and Publication Scheme, The University of Sydney (Rogers D, Morton A, Troy L, Blatman N, Altun S) (2021)
Antipode Scholar-Activist Award (2019-2020)
I am currently undertaking research in three main areas:
First, through collaborations with First Nations communities and organisations, we examine access to and activation of land rights, and land politics and relations in settler-colonial cities and how they play out vis-a-vis government policies, planning and development and financialisation processes.
Second, I apply abolitionist tools to work across several geographical areas. I am currently writing about mapping prison geographies in Australia, probing the historical links between urbanisation and incarceration and changes to carceral structures in the context of settler colonial policies, and examining the contemporary politics and economics of redevelopments of decomissioned urban prisons.
Third, methodologically I am focusing on the role of storytelling and lived experiences in urban development, particularly as tools for intervening in urban processes to achieve more equitable and just cities.
Professional
Co-convenor, The Institute of Australian Geographers, Urban Geography Study Group (2021-2024)
Co-convenor, The Institute of Australian Geographers, Indigenous Peoples' Knowledges and Rights Study Group (2019-2020)
Other
Advisory Committee Member, Jewish Council of Australia (https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/).