An urban environmental historian with a background in social history and permaculture, I study the historic and contemporary interplay between water and social forces in Austin, Texas. My research traces the history of black and brown community formation and dispossession in Austin, as well as the evolution of the city's contemporary homeless and live-music geographies. In addition to focusing on how topography and hydrology – and human manipulations of both – have shaped Austin’s social landscapes, my work encourages readers to pay attention to – and deepen their relationship with – land and water in the city.