Sarah SanGiovanni

Sarah is an urban sustainability researcher and professional who is passionate about linking theory on equitable community development, sustainability transitions, and urban governance to practice on the ground. In her current role as Director of Research at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Municipal Project Hub in Pittsburgh, PA, she conducts research on investment barriers and opportunities in low-capacity communities throughout the ten county southwestern Pennsylvania region and designs actionable tools to help communities build investment readiness. Prior to joining the Hub, Sarah served as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s Urban Studies program, where she designed and taught classes including Neighborhood Planning, Urban Sustainability, and Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning. She has also developed programs to help businesses and municipalities adopt sustainable practices as a Program Manager at nonprofit Sustainable Pittsburgh, and coordinated community-enaged sustainability research projects as a Program Coordinator at the University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities. Sarah holds a PhD in Geography from Clark University and a Master or Urban Planning from SUNY Buffalo. Her dissertation research investigated how ecodistricts in the Pittsburgh metro area develop and scale governance innovations that shape regional place-making, investment, and community engagement practices.