Sarah Davidson

Biography

Sarah Davidson is a PhD student in Politics and International Relations at Northeastern University London, where she began her doctoral studies in May 2025. Her research explores the geopolitics of urban climate change, specifically examining the connections between inequality, immobility, transport violence, and geopolitical dynamics. She is especially interested in social and urban geography, using GIS and spatial mapping techniques.

Sarah earned her BSc in Geography from Loughborough University, including a placement year at the Environment Agency in Northern Ireland within the chemical pollution section. She then completed an MSc in Geographic Information Systems at Ulster University, while working at the Ordnance Survey for the Department of the Economy and Finance in Northern Ireland. This blend of academic training and practical experience has deepened her understanding of environmental policy, spatial data infrastructure, and the real-world uses of geographic analysis.

Qualifications

MSc in Geographic Information Systems, Ulster University

BSc in Geography, Loughborough University

Research

Sarah’s research interests centre on using GIS and spatial analysis to investigate the links between urban inequalities and the physical impacts of climate change. Her work is interdisciplinary, blending political geography, international relations, and geospatial science to understand how climate change influences different urban areas and populations. Her undergraduate and master’s dissertations both utilised GIS methods to explore complex socio-spatial issues. Her undergraduate research at Loughborough used GIS to examine inequality and geopolitical legacies in Belfast, while her master’s dissertation at Ulster University assessed renewable energy potential for Nigeria by integrating social metrics into spatial analysis. These projects consistently highlight her commitment to using geographic technologies to reveal and address spatial inequalities and inform policy solutions.