Marisa McArthur

Marisa McArthur is a Tasmania-based researcher and project manager.

She holds a BA with highest honours from the University of Michigan, where she specialised in post-World War II United States and Latin American history. She has a Master of Environmental Planning with first class honours from the University of Tasmania, her research focusing on housing pathways for those with sustainability values. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania, researching the role of place branding in influencing social outcomes, with particular focus on early childhood. The common thread in her research has been individual and community identities and applied ethics at a time of rapid social, technological and environmental change.

In her daily work, Marisa has advised on interdisciplinary policy and projects, from community visioning and strategic planning to smart cities and cultural programs. She was project manager for Hobart: A community vision for our island capital, which received a commendation in the Planning Institute of Australia’s Tasmanian Awards in 2019, and co-author of the Connected Hobart smart city framework, which won the Planning Institute of Australia’s National President’s Award in 2021.