Drawing from architecture, human geography, and urban planning, Michael Rios’ research focuses on the intersection between marginality, urbanism and public space. A theme emerging from this work is “placemaking” as an assemblage of different practices that involves negotiations of belonging, authorship, and power; a means for marginalized communities to produce different imaginations of space, action, and identity; and a lens to analyze tensions between the state and civil society groups, planning and design professionals, and the publics they purport to serve.

Michael has contributed numerous publications on the topics of placemaking, marginality, and the ethics of practice. Diálogos: Placemaking in Latino Communities (Routledge), co-edited with Leonardo Vazquez, takes note of how Latinos are shaping urban, suburban, and rural places, and considers how the growing cultural diversity in regions, cities, and towns, both challenges and offers insight into placemaking practices in an increasingly multi-ethnic world.