About me

My area of research and practice is the interdisciplinary field of holistic, regenerative, and sustainable community development.

In June 2021 I graduated with my PhD in sustainable communities, from the School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. My doctoral research focused on developing an integrated framework to help communities achieve their sustainability goals by shifting from the logic of reducing impact to that of regenerating community resources in an equitable and just manner, and therefore achieve systemic, transformative change. The book I co-authored on this topic, Toward Sustainable Communities, 5th edition, has just been launched!

I am passionate about sustainability education and, particularly, about embedding sustainability in higher, post-secondary education through curriculum updates, instructional design for sustainability, and experiential learning. From 2014 to 2020 I was a sessional instructor or a course supervisor with SFU’s Sustainable Development Program. As SFU Sustainability’s Manager, Regenerative Systems Education, I co-facilitated the co-curricular program Climate Action Student Collaborative and have been co-designing a suite of learning opportunities for the university community on sustainability, climate action, and climate justice. My pedagogical methods are informed by values such as equity, responsibility, respect, trust, and partnership; inspired by Indigenous worldviews, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s Calls to Action, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People; and guided by the Universal Design for Learning framework.

I also have experience in applied social research, community engagement and consultations, as well as community partnerships for sustainability and climate action. This includes developing and managing community-engaged projects (e.g., sustainability awareness campaigns, environmental education programs, wildlife protection projects, and CSR and cause-related fundraising events) and research studies on issues such as climate impact, climate justice, and sustainable communities.

Through my studies and work I became familiar with the working processes of the European Union and the EU funding instruments for sustainability projects of national, regional and local scale. As an environmental legal consultant and fundraiser for the environmental sector from 2007 to 2014, I actively participated in the preparation of funding proposals for submission to the EU and other organisations, foundations and institutions. I have also volunteered in various activities and events with Greek environmental and humanitarian NGOs as well as with organisations in Vancouver, Canada, including Simon Fraser University. Lastly, I have collaborated with Sympraxis Team on various sustainability-related projects.

I obtained my MA in Environmental Law and two diplomas in Environmental Pollution and in European Studies/Law from the University of Strasbourg, France, and my BA in International Relations and European Studies from Panteion University of Political Science in Athens, Greece. My book on the EU law on environmental impact (2005) may be consulted in several prestigious libraries around Europe (Panteion University in Athens, Université de Strasbourg, European Court of Justice (entry 1200), Peace Palace Library in The Hague) and may also be bought at amazon.fr. Lastly, I’m fluent in English, French, and Greek, and can communicate in Italian.

I grew up on the small island of Kea in Greece; there, my grandpa taught me to cut glass panels for doors and windows while my grandma taught me crochet and knitting. In my previous life I enjoyed volunteering for Blue Flag beach inspections around Greece and in my current life I enjoy various arts and crafts, reading whodunnits, and volunteering for convocations and other events.

(OA = Open Access)

• Pivnick, J., & Spiliotopoulou, M. (forthcoming, 2024). Sustainability in Higher Education Across Canada – the SHEAC group. New Directions For Teaching And Learning Special Issue “Pedagogies for a Sustainable and Resilient Future”, Wiley Publications.
  
• Roseland, M., Stout, M., & Spiliotopoulou, M. (2023). Toward Sustainable Communities, Solutions for Citizens and Their Governments, Fifth Edition. Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society Publishers. (NEW BOOK- just launched! Watch a 1-min teaser here!)
  
• Vigier, M., Ouellet-Plamondon, C. M., Spiliotopoulou, M., Moore, J., & Rees, W. E. (2023). To what extent is sustainability addressed at urban scale and how aligned is it with Earth’s productive capacity?. Sustainable Cities and Society, 104655.
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M., & Roseland, M. (2022). Sustainability planning, implementation, and assessment in cities: how can productivity enhance these processes?. Discover Sustainability, 3(1), 1-19. OA
  (see Plan Canada’s review of this article, here)
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M., & Roseland, M. (2021). Urban sustainability via urban productivity? A conceptual review and framework proposal. Local Environment, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2021.2005008 OA
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M., & Roseland, M. (2021). Making the SDGs Relevant for Cities: Using the Community Capital Tool in British Columbia. In King, L. O., & Iyer, S. (Eds), Promoting the Sustainable Development Goals in North American Cities: Case Studies and Best Practices in the Science of Sustainability Indicators, Springer.
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M., & Roseland, M. (2021). Achieving community happiness and well-being through community productivity. In Cloutier, S. (Ed), Linking Sustainability and Happiness: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives, Springer Nature.
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M., & Roseland, M. (2020). Urban Sustainability: From Theory Influences to Practical Agendas. Sustainability, 12(18), 7245. OA
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M., & Roseland, M. (2020). Theories and concepts influencing sustainable community development: introducing the concept of community productivity. In Phillips, R. (Ed), The Research Handbook on Community Development, Edward Elgar Publishing. OA
  
• Roseland, M., & Spiliotopoulou, M. (2018). Sustainability in North America: the Canadian experience. In Brinkmann, R., & Garren, S. (Eds), The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability: Case studies and practical solutions (pages 635-652). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
  
• Roseland, M., & Spiliotopoulou, M. (2017). Sustainable Community Planning and Development. In Abraham, M. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies. Amsterdam, Oxford, Cambridge MA: Elsevier.
  
• Roseland, M., & Spiliotopoulou, M. (2016). Converging urban agendas: Toward healthy and sustainable communities. Social Sciences, 5(3), 28.
  
• Spiliotopoulou, M. (2005). Le droit communautaire de l’évaluation des incidences sur l’environnement: Le cas français. Athènes-Bruxelles: Sakkoulas-Bruylant. (BOOK)

Visit my ORCID profile and my Amazon Author profile.

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