Dr Umberto Baresi

Doctor of Philosophy (University of Queensland)

Dr Umberto Baresi (BSc, MSc, PhD) is an urban and environmental planner with International experience in Australia and Italy. In his career, he has worked as a professional planner in Italy, contributing to urban plans and land use regulations in several Italian cities while developing original research at his alma mater (Politecnico di Milano). His experience with government, industry and academia makes Umberto an effective chief investigator in several government-funded research projects: National Environmental Science Program in the Marine and Coastal Hub; Great Barrier Reef Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program; Monitoring collective capacity and effectiveness of implementation of the Great Barrier Reef 2050 Plan; Review of existing environmental partnerships in the Great Barrier Reef.

Dr Baresi's research areas include environmental planning, strategic assessment, collaborative learning, governance and social and ecological systems in the context of sustainable development. Since 2008, Umberto has collaborated with decision-makers, academics and professionals across multiple disciplines, delivering research and professional outputs presented to International audiences and published as statutory documents and peer-reviewed journals. His research advocates the need for more effective assessment of the human impacts on the environment, caused by urban and regional planning. Recent research activities and publications developed by Dr Baresi and colleagues reflect on pathways for improving procedures of strategic environmental assessment, with a focus on Australian national and state planning and assessment frameworks.

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