Department of Global Studies and Human Geography, Middle Tennessee State University
Francis T. Koti
PhD; GISP
What I do
I study cities and Communities. I am interested in how cities grow, how communities access and use resources, and the interplay of power in the creation of the urban built environment. A community-based approach is used to integrate theory, fieldwork, and modern geospatial technologies. My recent work has focused on water access in peri-urban communities outside Africa's largest cities.
Social and Spatial Exclusion Project
This study demonstrated that integrating local knowledge into a GIS:
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reveals exclusionary spaces in peri-urban locations,
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unveils internal differences from the lived experiences of peri-urban communities, and
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provides the underlying social relations that produce and sustain these often spatially and socially differentiated fringe landscapes in Africa. Published here...
Peri-Urban Water Access and Use Project
Study involved the examination of water supply markets in peri-urban communities around large African cities. Water supply systems in these rapidly urbanizing environments are mapped and coping mechanisms by local residents identified. Listen to Webinar Presentation here...
East Africa: Norms, Etiquette, and Taboos Project
Masters Students I have Supervised
This is a an encyclopedia piece that examined shared cultural norms, etiquette, and taboos in the East African region - Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. While commonalities are identified in the general sense, the paper reveals untold diversity, complexity, fluidity, and dynamism in cultural practices across communities in the region. Electronic and social media are found to be rapidly transforming social interactions. Published here...
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Niedzwiecki, J. - 2018
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Everett, S. N - 2016
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Thompson, R. - 2016
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Odhiambo, M. - 2016