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 (ADA)
Cities Institute
Naama Blatman is a Senior Lecturer and Scientia Fellow at the Cities Institute. She is an urban and political geographer researching across both Israel/Palestine and Australia. Naama’s work explores the intersections of planning, Indigenous land politics, and infrastructure in settler cities. She applies a comparative lens and works collaboratively with Indigenous communities to interrogate how settler colonial structures continue to impact urban life and how these structures can be intervened, reimagined and reconstituted towards liberatory and racially just futures.
Before joining UNSW, Naama held a research position at Western Sydney University (2022-2024), and a lecturer position at The University of Sydney (2019-2022). Naama is an alumnus of the prestigious Urban Studies Foundation (USF) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2023).
Naama is an Associate Editor of Environment and Planning D: Society and Space.
E-mail
Location
UNSW Cities Institute
Room 218, John Goodsell Building
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
ARC LP240200639, Aboriginal-led pathways to community benefit on Aboriginal land (Granted 2025, commencement 2026)
Urban Studies Foundation Event Support (2024-2025)
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
Current
Editor, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space.
Committee Member, Australasian Cities Research Network
Past
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/).
My Teaching
I currently convene and teach PLAN1003: Urban Society, History, Theory