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CC+S Leadership

Deb McKoy

Deborah McKoy

CC+S Executive Director, PhD and MPA


Deborah L. McKoy (she/her) is a Research Professor of City and Regional Planning and Executive Director and Founder of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities + Schools at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development. Her research and teaching focus 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.

For over two decades, Deborah’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. Deborah has published numerous articles and reports for academic and peer-reviewed journals and her work and teaching have won a range of 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.

Contact: debmckoy@berkeley.edu

Publications + Articles

21CSLA Leading for Justice Summit 2025: Y-PLAN Students as Co-Leaders
Ruby Kosewicz-Strickland, Deborah McKoy
July 3, 2025
PLUS Playbook for Homeless Education in California
Ruby Kosewicz-Strickland, Deborah McKoy
July 3, 2025
A Decade+ of Resilience: The TOMODACHI SoftBank Summer Leadership Program at UC Berkeley
Deborah L. McKoy, David Beiser
April 2, 2025
A Decade+ of Resilience: The TOMODACHI SoftBank Summer Leadership Program at UC Berkeley
Deborah L. McKoy, David Beiser
April 2, 2025
Empowerment as Prevention: How Youth-Driven Initiatives Transform Frameworks for Change
Deborah L. McKoy, Ruby Kosewicz-Strickland, and Pixie Popplewell
February 17, 2025
Newsom’s Budget Proposal Must Include Needed Support for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Deborah L. McKoy and Jabari Mahiri
February 15, 2025

News Coverage

Y-HEAR Oct 27 Convening brings state leaders, practitioners, and researchers together
Deborah L. McKoy, Y-Plan Team
November 12, 2023
Op-ed published in Mercury News: How California can give unhoused students a helping hand
CC+S Staff, Deborah L. McKoy
January 25, 2023
Op-ed on Y-PLAN San Rafael published in Marin Independent Journal
Deborah L. McKoy, Y-Plan Team
October 17, 2022
Routledge published CC+S book on planning cities with young people and schools – Order Your Copy Here!
Deborah L. McKoy, Y-Plan Team
February 8, 2022
“Planning Cities with Young People and Schools” Book Discussion at University of Toronto
CC+S Staff, Deborah L. McKoy
December 14, 2021
Y-PLAN wins Bay Area Metro Award for Regional Resilience Work
Deborah L. McKoy, Y-Plan Team
June 10, 2019
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  • About CC+S
    • Overview
    • Awards
    • People
    • PLUS Research Fellows
  • Major Initiatives
    • Equitable School Facilities
    • Education Workforce Housing
    • Y-PLAN (Youth, Plan, Learn, Act Now)
    • Y-HEAR-US
  • In the News
  • Blog
  • Publications
  • Contact Us
  • Data Sharing
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