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) holds an appointment as Research Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning. She is also the executive director and founder of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities + Schools at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development. For over two decades, McKoy's work has bridged the worlds of research, policy, and practice, including a wide range of professional experiences: Consultant to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Chief of Economic Development at the NYC Housing Authority; Director of Refugee Services for CAMBA, a NYC non-profit organization; and Consultant to the United Nations Education For All initiative. McKoy has published numerous articles and reports for academic and peer-reviewed journals and her work and teaching have won several awards. She recently published the well-received book, Planning Cities With Young People and Schools: Forging Justice and Generating Joy  with Amanda Eppley and Dr. Shirl Buss, by Routledge Press.

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

McKoy, Deborah, Amanda Eppley, and Shirl Buss. “The Power and Promise of Planning Cities with Young People and Schools.” 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.