Deborah McKoy
McKoy's research and teaching focus is on the intersection of educational reform, urban & metropolitan planning, community development, and public policy. Central to her work is the critical role young people play in urban and metropolitan change and transformation.
Deborah L. McKoy (she/her) is a Research Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley and the Executive Director and Founder of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities + Schools within the Institute of Urban and Regional Development. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, Deborah has held a range of leadership roles, including Consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Chief of Economic Development at the NYC Housing Authority, Director of Refugee Services at CAMBA (a NYC-based non-profit), and Consultant to the United Nations Education for All initiative.
Deborah McKoy is the author of numerous articles and reports published in academic and peer-reviewed journals, and her teaching and scholarship have earned several awards, particularly for her development of the Y-PLAN (Youth – Plan, Learn, Act, Now) civic engagement methodology. She is the co-author of the book Planning Cities with Young People and Schools: Forging Justice and Generating Joy (Routledge Press), which has been widely praised for its innovative approach to urban planning and youth engagement.
CP 268 and CP 190 Y-PLAN Community Development Studio
CP 190/290 Advanced Topics in Urban Studies: Participatory Planning and Civic Engagement with Y-PLAN
American Planning Association (APA) California Public Engagement Award of Excellence, 2020
American Institute of Architects San Francisco Social Impact Award, 2019
Bay Area Metro Award, 2019
UCB Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, Community Partnerships – Resilient by Design, 2018
UC Berkeley Collegium Grant Award, 2017
UCB Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, Community Partnerships – Healthy Richmond, 2016
UCB Chancellor’s Award for Public Service, Faculty Award, 2006
UCB Chancellor’s Award for University – Community Partnerships, 2004
McKoy, Deborah, Amanda Eppley, and Shirl Buss. "Planning Cities with Young People and Schools: Forging Justice and Generating Joy," United Kingdom. Routledge Press. 2022.
Buss, Shirl and McKoy, Deborah “Forming Authentic Civic Partnerships While Creating Joyful, Equitable Cities” in Edited Volume, University-Community Partnerships for Transformative Education: Sowing Seeds of Resistance and Renewal, edited by Mara Welsh Mahmood, Marjorie Elaine, John Cano, Open Access - Palgrave McMillan, 2024
McKoy, Deborah and Garcia, David Hernandez. “Why Plan? A two-decade exploration into how and why to engage young people in city planning and diversify the planning pipeline” in Professional Awareness and Diversity Challenges in Urban Planning Education. Routledge Press (2022).
Eppley, Amanda, Myrna Ortiz Villar and Deborah Mckoy. “Cultivating a Sense of Place for and with Immigrant Students through University, School, Community Partnerships”, in A Place Called Home, Edited by: R. Martin Reardon, East Carolina University and Jack Leonard, University of Massachusetts, Boston, in Volume VI in the Current Perspectives on School/University/Community Research Series (2021).
Eppley, Amanda, Myrna Ortiz Villar and Deborah Mckoy. “Cultivating Inclusion: Belonging and Agency in Young Black Men through Civic Action Research.” The Canadian Journal of Action Research. Vol 22 No 2 (2020): 72-90.
Mckoy, Deborah, Amanda Eppley and Shirl Buss. “The Critical Role for Young People in Resilience Planning.” Community Development Innovation Review. San Francisco Federal Reserve. October 17, 2019.
Mckoy, Deborah, Jessie Stewart and Shirl Buss.“Engaging Students in Transforming Their Built Environment via Y-PLAN: Lessons from Richmond, California” Children, Youth and Environments. Vol. 2 (2015): 229-244.
McKoy, Deborah, Shirl Buss and Jessie Stewart.“Blueprints for Hope: Engaging Children as Critical Actors in Urban Place-making” Early Childhood Matters: Vol 123 (2014): 27 - 35.
Mckoy, Deborah, David Stern and Ariel H. Bierbaum.“Social Enterprise for Learning: A Replicable Model of Service Learning and Civic Engagement” Social Studies Review. 49.1 (2010): 82-85.
Bierbaum, Ariel H., Jeffrey Vincent, and Deborah L. McKoy.“Linking Transit-Oriented Development, Families, and Schools.” Community Investments 22-2 (2010): 18-21.