Terra Virsilas

Urban Development Associate

Bio

Terra is an Associate I for the Urban Development team under the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. She oversees the day-to-day project operations and administrative needs of the team in addition to the Resource Team for the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities. She contributes to research on policy, design, and governance related issues of integrated urban planning, transit-oriented development, and housing.

Prior to joining WRI, Terra pursued her interest in urban watershed research and restoration by interning with Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) stream-monitoring division. During her time with DEP, she gained experience in field sampling including benthic macroinvertebrate, amphibian, reptile and fish collection and identification; habitat assessments; physical and chemical data analysis; and geomorphological stream surveying. She worked on compiling data for several stream restoration projects, as well as created and updated GIS maps for public outreach events and the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas.

Terra holds a B.S. in environmental management from the University of Maryland University College and a M.A. in community planning from the University of Maryland.

All of Terra’s free time has been consumed with the arrival of her first child.

Blog Posts

3 Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
by Robin King and Terra Virsilas - October 12, 2016
A good home gives families a base to build the foundations of society, but in urbanizing areas, good housing can be difficult to find. People like Jussara and her family in Porte Alegre, Brazil, face a trio of critical challenges to locating affordable housing that apply in many growing cities worldwide.
What Can We Learn from Thailand’s Inclusive Approach to Upgrading Informal Settlements?
by Emily Norford and Terra Virsilas - May 12, 2016
About one billion people live in slums or informal settlements. Thailand's Bann Mankong program, which improved the living conditions of more than 90,000 households at a cost of just $570 per family, offers lessons on solutions.

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Terra Virsilas

3 Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing

What Can We Learn from Thailand’s Inclusive Approach to Upgrading Informal Settlements?

Confronting the Urban Housing Crisis in the Global South: Adequate, Secure, and Affordable Housing

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3 Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing

What Can We Learn from Thailand’s Inclusive Approach to Upgrading Informal Settlements?

Confronting the Urban Housing Crisis in the Global South: Adequate, Secure, and Affordable Housing

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