As part of the Pedestrian Space ‘Global URBAN HEAT Media Lab’ and network in development, we are recording our conversations with incoming collaborators around the world, as well as students pursuing academic internships related to the project.
As part of that, we met with Serena Claggett, a bachelor’s student at Leiden University in the Netherlands, studying sociology with an emphasis on sustainable communities and a minor in economics. Like many other collaborators, Serena found out about the Pedestrian Space Urban Heat project on LinkedIn. She wrote that she was ‘immediately intrigued by the approach to critical heat issues with broad scope and collaborative foundations’.
Originally from the USA, she reflected that ‘As someone with a grounded passion for environmental justice, the cycling-structured Dutch cities have allowed me to reimagine sustainability, community, and climate justice through transportation design. This is a curiosity I plan to follow to advocate for healthier, sustainable communities.’
She also reflected that ‘This summer, I sweltered in the European heatwave, only to “escape” back to the U.S., where wildfires rage across the country. These catastrophes have had detrimental effects on the human and natural worlds that I call home, and to that effect, have amplified my passion for addressing climate-related issues at the city level. While climate change manifests itself differently across geographies, humans face shared burdens of degrading community and planetary health.’
Serena shared that her research background and academic skill sets prepare her to be a self-starter in researching urban heat from a sociological and environmental perspective and that she can apply her academic training in mixed-methods research with her passion for climate justice, urban mobility, and population health. In collaborative research, she also brings the ability to contribute Dutch and American community perspectives to approach these topics.
Serena reflected that as an intern for the Pedestrian Space ‘Global URBAN HEAT Media Lab’ project, she wishes to develop knowledge that can make a difference in how people interact with their environments and refine her advocacy efforts for climate justice, urban mobility, and community development in embedded local contexts.
View more about the Pedestrian Space ‘Global URBAN HEAT Media Lab’ project and network below.