Program Name
Adaptable Urban Environments
Program Synopsis
This research program enquires how urban systems evolve, morph, and respond to current challenges, such as climate adaptation, pandemics, deep changes in our economic paradigms, migration, or socio-cultural dynamics. The program has a dual focus; it enquires the tangible physicality of the city from an urban design perspective, investigating the morphology and morphogenesis of natural and built environments, building typologies, public spaces, landscapes, and infrastructures. The program also deals with intangible factors of citymaking, researching sense of place, local identity, community resilience, cultural heritage, as well as structured and unstructured interactions between people and their environment. The focus on spatial design affords a broad discussion on how our urban environments can adapt to respond to current and future challenges, needs, and opportunities to foster sustainable and inclusive communities. The research program covers, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Urban design paradigms to deliver inclusive sustainable cities
- Missing middle and urban density
- Housing typologies for climate adaptation and community resilience
- Sense of place and cultural identity
- Water sensitive urbanism
- Creative approaches to urban and landscape design
- Community engagement and community empowerment
- Co-design and collaborative approaches to citymaking
- Physical and digital interventions in public spaces to enhance people centred urbanism
Program Lead
- A/Prof Mirko Guaralda
Research Team
- A/Prof Mirko Guaralda
- Prof Tan Yigitcanlar
- Prof Jill Fanz
- A/Prof Bo Xia
- Dr Daniel Nyandega
- Dr Shannon Satherley
- Dr Melissa Teo
