I am an urban sociologist studying cities, ideas and their dialectic relations. In my research, I examine what it means for a messy and complex entity like a city to adopt a new idea, and how the circulation of policy creates a global space of ideas. My previous work has concentrated on the Creative City and Placemaking—policy frameworks often addressing the political and economic upheavals post-industrialization brings. My current research examines how ordinary cities develop climate adaptation plans that address their specific needs within a highly normative and hierarchical global space dominated by leading cities and philanthropic organizations.