Current research: http://geog.uoregon.edu/cohen/research.htm

According to the standard definitions used in geography, I don't fit cleanly into any one category. My work covers both political geography and political ecology, but is informed by historical and cultural elements that make it somewhat eclectic in relation to the typical interests of those groupings. At the heart of things, I'm interested in questions of power, and my approach is a critical one, pushing toward some "real world" outcomes that articulate with the nexus of social theories and questions of justice.  To date, I have conducted much of my research on elements of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with emphasis on land, territory, and environment. I have focused on issues in Jerusalem and the West Bank, concentrating on the politics of planning, territorial control, and issues of place and identity. This work is part of a broader study of ethno-territorial conflict, and I have a second field of focus in Northern Ireland.  My work in Northern Ireland concentrates in Derry/Londonderry and Belfast, and deals with various manifestations of identity and territory.  These projects are contributing to the development of a territorial framework, the "Riparian Model", which is outlined in an article I co-authored with David Frank in Political Geography (Vol. 21 no. 6, August 2002 pp 745-765) and is discussed in somewhat broader form in our 2009 article in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers "Innovative Approaches to Territorial Disputes:  Using Principles of Riparian Conflict Management" 99(5):948-955.  A book on the town of Derry/Londonderry is in the works.

My work on afforestation developed into a broader interest, and I study tree planting, from political and cultural perspectives, around the world. In this work I take a critical approach, and examine the "spin" on politics and environment that is a central part of tree planting campaigns in Planting Nature:  Trees and the Manipulation of Environmental Stewardship in America (University of California Press, 2004).  For additional information and related websites, follow the link above to my research page. Details concerning my professional activities and background can be found on my CV.