Heather Mackay
Universitetslektor|Senior Lecturer
- Professional title: Senior Lecturer
- Academic title: Senior Lecturer
- Email: heather.mackay@miun.se
- Location: Östersund
-
- Employed at the subject:
- Human and Economic Geography
-
- Research centers:
- ETOUR
I am a geographer working at the intersection of agriculture, food systems, and sustainable urban life in the Global South. I also work with gendered perspectives.
Background
I completed a bachelors in Geography at Aberdeen University, Scotland and hold a Masters degree in Rural Resources and Environmental Management from Imperial College London; and a Masters in Spatial Planning and Development from Umeå University, Sweden.
I have worked 10 years in international development for NGOs and private consulting companies in the UK, USA and Ghana before returning to academia.
My doctoral research, completed in 2019, investigated in what ways transitions at the nexus of urbanisation, food environments, and lifestyles were occurring in secondary cities of Uganda.
In addition, I have worked on smallholder African agriculture, urban agriculture and urban food systems, as well as in the topic of migration.
I work across a mix of methods including spatial (remote sensing, GIS), qualitative (particularly interviewing and focus group discussions), and quantitative (mainly in-field household surveys).
Area of interest
Urban development
Smallholder agriculture
Food systems
Gender sensitivity
Sustainability
Resilience to climate change
Research
Agriculture for Food Security 2030 (AgriFoSe2030)
Gender Sensitivity within Agricultural Extension Training in Tanzania
Mobile Men's Health in Uganda and Zambia
Teaching and tutoring
Geography for future school teachers
Global climatic and environmental change
Mobility, accessibility and sustainability
Planning systems
Other information
Publications
Heather Mackay, Magnus Strömgren, Paul Isolo Mukwaya, Frank Mugagga, Herbert Hambati, et al. (2025) Analysing inclusivity within small town development in Uganda and Tanzania : an inclusivity index and experiential insights. International Development Planning Review, 47 p.309-350