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Dr Abi O’Connor is an urban sociologist whose expertise centres on understanding the relationship between urban governance, local politics and the (re)structuring of place via stigmatisation. She received her PhD in May 2024 from the University of Liverpool which explored how financial capital is extracted from housing markets in communities deemed to​ ‘lack value’, focusing on the role of the local state in enabling this process. 

Abi was a researcher at the New Economics Foundation where she undertook extensive place-based empirical research on land, housing and local economies. She regularly responds to current issues in national media and contributes to policy development locally and nationally. Alongside her research, Abi has a keen interest in democratising knowledge through grassroots movements. She is a co-founder of Liverpool Residents Action, a board member of Vauxhall Community Law Centre and a trustee of the Housing Studies Association.