Megan Bucknum

About Megan Bucknum

Megan Bucknum is an urban and environmental planner, educator, and food systems planning professional. She is an Associate Teaching Professor in Rowan University’s Department of Geography, Planning, & Sustainability, where she teaches courses in urban planning, urban geography, metropolitan and regional planning, food systems planning, and planning communications.

Bucknum’s professional experience includes food systems planning, community development, sustainability, and community engagement. Prior to joining Rowan University, she worked with organizations including New Venture Advisors, The Food Trust, Fair Food Philadelphia, and the Wallace Center at Winrock International. Her work has included food systems feasibility studies, food access and distribution, public markets, farm-to-institution initiatives, and food-based economic development.

Her planning and research interests include participatory approaches to community engagement, food systems, sustainable development, environmental planning, and public space and placemaking. She serves on the American Planning Association Food Systems Division Executive Committee and is appointed to the Borough of Collingswood’s Joint Land Use and Zoning Board. At Rowan, she has contributed to Planning Accreditation Board accreditation, curriculum development, and the development of Regenerative Food Systems programming.

Bucknum holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Geographic Science from James Madison University.  She has also completed the National Charrette Institute's certificate training in Charrette Management and Facilitation.

Selected Publications

Kitson, J., Bucknum, M., and Meenar, M. (2021).  Staging hydrophilic encounters:  Experiential methods for creating dialogic listening space.  Social and Cultural Geography (in press).

Bucknum, M., & Bentzel, D. (2019).  Food banks as local food champions:  How hunger relief agencies invest in local and regional food systems.  In S. Thottathil & A. Goger (Eds.) Institutions as Conscious Food Consumers:  Leveraging Purchasing Power to Drive Systems Change (pp. 286-305).  San Diego, CA, USA:  Academic Press.

Bentzel D., Weiss S., Bucknum M., & Shore K. (2015). Healthy food and small stores: Strategies to close the distribution gap. Philadelphia, PA: The Food Trust.

Recent Courses Taught

• Intro to City Planning
• Metropolitan/Regional Planning
• Food Systems Planning
• Graduate Seminar in Food Systems Planning
• Planning Communications