Overview
Background
I am an Associate Professor of urban planning. Since joining the University of Queensland in 2015, my research has focused on the built environment triad: urban design, transport, and housing - in both the Global North and South. I approach my work from a feminist perspective, considering the role of gender in the city.
My personal and academic journey has been international in nature. I am a native of Albania. Over the years I have held guest teaching and/or research positions in Austria (UWien), Canada (UBC), Chile (PUC), Italy (IUAV), the Netherlands (UvA), Oman (GUTech), and Vietnam (UTC), and I have provided consultancy services to various United Nations agencies including the UNDP, UNESCAP, and UN Habitat. I speak Italian, Spanish, and French in addition to English and Albanian.
My latest books are Trophy Cities: A Feminist Perspective on New Capitals (Edward Elgar, 2021) and Alternative Planning History and Theory (Routledge, 2023). For three years in a row (2022-2024), I have been included in the 'Stanford/Elsevier World’s Top 2% Researchers' list, and have ranked among the top-ten 'urban and regional planning' researchers in Australia. Alongside my academic research, I also publish broadly in non-academic outlets and regularly give interviews on national and international media. My articles in The Conversation have reached nearly half a million readers. Prior to joining academia, I worked in urban design and planning in California.
My research has been funded by domestic and international granting bodies, including the Australian Research Council. Overall, I have attracted $700,000 in external funding and $100,000 in internal funding. For a full list of my publications, click the 'Works' tab, which displays results live from UQ eSpace, or visit my external profiles listed on the left panel.
Qualifications
- Postdoctoral Residency, Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft, the Netherlands. 2012-2014.
- PhD in Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tirana, Albania. 2007-2010.
- Visiting PhD student, University of California at Los Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs, Los Angeles, Ca, USA. 2009.
- Master in Urban Planning, University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning, Cincinnati, Oh, USA. Full scholarship award. 2003-2005.
- Visiting Master student, Catholic University of Leuven, Faculty of Architecture (St Lucas), Brussels, Belgium. Recipient of US government FIPSE grant. 2004.
- Professional Degree in Architecture, Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tirana, Albania. 1998-2003.
Availability
- Dr Dorina Pojani is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Urban Transport in Developing Countries, Polytechnic University of Tirana
- Master of Community Planning, University of Cincinnati
Research impacts
Funded Projects*
2025-2026. Project: Closing the loop on first/last mile transportation in Brisbane: Assessing the connection between micromobility and 50 cent public transport fares. iMove CRC, Brisbane City Council, Australia. Grant co-writer ($100,000).
2025. Project: Diaspora 4Innovation: Integrating work practice in urban planning curricula in Albania. GERMIN Fellowship, Albania. Lead grant writer ($18,500).
2023-2025. Project: Evaluation of separated cycle tracks in new developments. Transport Academic Partnership, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Australia. Sole grant writer ($50,000).
2023. Project: A gendered critique of early planned utopian cities. School of Architecture, Design and Planning Seed Funding, University of Queensland, Australia. Grant co-writer ($3,000).
2023-2025. Project: Study of factors associated with the choice of private electric transport vehicles in Vietnam. National Foundation for Science and Technology (NAFOSTED), Vietnam. Grant co-writer ($50,000).
2023-2024. Project: The woman-friendly city: Case studies of post-industrial areas in Tirana. READ Fellowship, Albanian-American Development Foundation, Albania. Lead grant writer ($17,000).
2022. Project: Minimising corruption in urban planning and development: What can the Balkans learn from Scandinavia? UQ Promoting Women Fellowship (PWF), Australia. Sole grant writer ($12,500).
2022. Project: We don’t know where to go or how to get there: Mapping out the mobility needs for tourists in urban destinations. UQ BEL Connect Grant, Australia. Grant co-writer ($18,500).
2021-2022. Project: The impact of Covid-19 on Brisbane / Southeast Queensland. UQ Faculty of Science COVID Research Recovery Fund, Australia. Lead grant writer ($50,000).
2021-2022. Project: Bikeability for Transportation: Tools and Data for Research and Practice. AURIN grant, Australia. Grant co-writer ($135,600).
2017-2020. Project: Reclaiming lost ground: Transitions of mobility and parking. Australian Research Council, Linkage grant, Australia. Grant co-writer ($358,000).
2016. Project: Planning Tiger Cub City-Regions: Role Models and Policy Transfers in Sustainable Transport in Southeast Asia. Project based in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. UQ Early Career Researcher grant, Australia. Sole grant writer ($26,150).
2015-2017. Project: Urban planning issues in planned capital cities in seven countries: Burma, India, Korea, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Brazil, and Australia. UQ Startup grant, Australia. Sole grant writer ($15,000).
2014-2015. Project: Informal Housing in five Balkan countries: Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia, Albania, and Kosovo. Grant from: Van Eesteren-Fluck & Van Lohuizen Stichting (EFL) Foundation, The Netherlands. Sole grant writer ($15,000).
Editorial Boards
- Sustainable Cities and Society
- Journal of Transport Geography
- Australian Planner
- Urban Policy and Research
- Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
- Journal of Planning Education and Research
Works
Search Professor Dorina Pojani’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
What drives urban densification? Free market versus government planning in Iran
Azhdari, Abolghasem, Alidadi, Mehdi and Pojani, Dorina (2024). What drives urban densification? Free market versus government planning in Iran. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 44 (3), 1865-1880. doi: 10.1177/0739456X221126625
2024
Journal Article
The blatant phenomenon of 'election-driven legalization of informality'
Merkaj, Elvina, Imami, Drini, Pojani, Dorina and Lami, Endrit (2024). The blatant phenomenon of 'election-driven legalization of informality'. Political Geography, 113 103155, 103155. doi: 10.1016/j.polgeo.2024.103155
2024
Other Outputs
Encouraging cycling could involve ditching helmets
Pojani, Dorina (2024, 07 05). Encouraging cycling could involve ditching helmets 360info
2024
Journal Article
Who is more likely to upgrade to e-cars? Comparing the intentions of electric and conventional motorcycle riders in Vietnam
Nguyen, Minh Hieu, Pojani, Dorina, Nguyen-Phuoc, Duy Quy, Ha, Thanh Tung and Nguyen, Thanh Chuong (2024). Who is more likely to upgrade to e-cars? Comparing the intentions of electric and conventional motorcycle riders in Vietnam. Travel Behaviour and Society, 36 100810, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.tbs.2024.100810
2024
Journal Article
Do parents support e-bike use among teenagers, and why? Evidence from Vietnam
Nguyen, Minh Hieu, Pojani, Dorina, Nguyen-Phuoc, Duy Q., Nguyen, Thanh Chuong and Ha, Thanh Tung (2024). Do parents support e-bike use among teenagers, and why? Evidence from Vietnam. Journal of Transport & Health, 38 101861, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jth.2024.101861
2024
Journal Article
Sustainability Implications of Working-From-Home (WFH): A Systematic Review of the Travel Behavior Literature
Halefom, Tmnit Hailu, Moglia, Magnus, Nygaard, Christian (Andi) and Pojani, Dorina (2024). Sustainability Implications of Working-From-Home (WFH): A Systematic Review of the Travel Behavior Literature. Journal of Planning Literature, 1-15. doi: 10.1177/08854122241259414
2024
Other Outputs
Bad weather, hills and the dark deter cyclists, particularly women. So what can we do about it?
Bean, Richard, Pojani, Dorina and Corcoran, Jonathan (2024, 06 05). Bad weather, hills and the dark deter cyclists, particularly women. So what can we do about it? The Conversation
2024
Book Chapter
New capitals as trophy cities
Pojani, Dorina (2024). New capitals as trophy cities. New capital: Building cities from scratch. (pp. 1-4) edited by Nick Hannes and Dorina Pojani. New York, NY United States: ACC Art Books.
2024
Other Outputs
Natural barriers facing female cyclists and how to overcome them: a cross national examination of bikesharing schemes
Bean, Richard, Pojani, Dorina and Corcoran, Jonathan (2024). Natural barriers facing female cyclists and how to overcome them: a cross national examination of bikesharing schemes. Mendeley Data. (Dataset) doi: 10.17632/vmy42hywwx.1
2024
Journal Article
Parking policies in six continents: mixed outcomes and multifaceted barriers to reform
Kong, Weichang, Pojani, Dorina, Corcoran, Jonathan and Sipe, Neil (2024). Parking policies in six continents: mixed outcomes and multifaceted barriers to reform. Policy Design and Practice, 7 (3), 1-18. doi: 10.1080/25741292.2024.2333602
2024
Journal Article
Natural barriers facing female cyclists and how to overcome them: a cross national examination of bikesharing schemes
Bean, Richard, Pojani, Dorina and Corcoran, Jonathan (2024). Natural barriers facing female cyclists and how to overcome them: a cross national examination of bikesharing schemes. Journal of Cycling and Micromobility Research, 2 100025, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmr.2024.100025
2024
Journal Article
Reassigning kerbside parking to cycling lanes: Is Robin Hood planning good for business?
Lin, Yuzhen, Pojani, Dorina and Corcoran, Jonathan (2024). Reassigning kerbside parking to cycling lanes: Is Robin Hood planning good for business?. Australian Planner, 59 (3), 202-222. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2024.2329187
2024
Edited Outputs
FABER2023 book of abstracts
Dorina Pojani, Gustavo De Siqueira and Joleza Koka eds. (2024). FABER2023 book of abstracts. FABER2023, Tirana, Albania, 28-29 September 2023. Tirana, Albania: WAW.
2024
Journal Article
The effect of fuel price fluctuations on utilitarian cycling rates: a survey of cyclists in Vietnam
Nguyen, Minh Hieu and Pojani, Dorina (2024). The effect of fuel price fluctuations on utilitarian cycling rates: a survey of cyclists in Vietnam. Journal of Transport Geography, 115 103793, 103793. doi: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.103793
2024
Journal Article
Growth of cycling in Brisbane during the Covid-19 pandemic
Pojani, Dorina and Khalaj, Fahimeh (2024). Growth of cycling in Brisbane during the Covid-19 pandemic. Australian Planner, 60 (2), 102-112. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2024.2303424
2024
Book Chapter
Zero-Carbon Urban Design in a Warming World: Learning from Pre-modern Cities
Pojani, Dorina, White, Jessica, Qiu, Feipeng, Lin, Xiaoyu, Qiang, Yishuai, He, Yuan and Liu, Mengqi (2024). Zero-Carbon Urban Design in a Warming World: Learning from Pre-modern Cities. The Palgrave Handbook of Zero Carbon Energy Systems and Energy Transitions. (pp. 641-674) Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-26604-1_37
2024
Book Chapter
Conceptions of ‘nature' and ‘the environment' during socialism in Albania
Pojani, Dorina and Pojani, Elona (2024). Conceptions of ‘nature' and ‘the environment' during socialism in Albania. Urban planning during socialism: views from the periphery. (pp. 244-267) edited by Jasna Mariotti and Kadri Leetmaa. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003327592-19
2023
Other Outputs
The Dark Side of Academic Sisterhood
Pojani, Dorina (2023, 09 08). The Dark Side of Academic Sisterhood Inside Higher Education
2023
Journal Article
Can electric buses entice more public transport use? Empirical evidence from students in Vietnam
Nguyen, Minh Hieu and Pojani, Dorina (2023). Can electric buses entice more public transport use? Empirical evidence from students in Vietnam. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 13 101040, 101040. doi: 10.1016/j.cstp.2023.101040
2023
Other Outputs
Think curbing overseas migration will end the housing crisis? It won’t – and we can’t afford to do it
Pojani, Dorina and Bernard, Aude (2023, 08 28). Think curbing overseas migration will end the housing crisis? It won’t – and we can’t afford to do it The Conversation
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Dorina Pojani is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Housing affordability issues in Malaysia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Alidoust
-
Doctor Philosophy
Are car-free lifestyles feasible in low-density, sprawling contexts? A comparison of a city in Australia and Saudi Arabia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Alidoust
-
Doctor Philosophy
Active transport and gender issues: A comparison between Brisbane and Sylhet
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Alidoust
-
Doctor Philosophy
Reconstructing A Gender Perspective Approach for a Sustainable New Capital City
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sara Alidoust
-
Doctor Philosophy
Active Citizenship in planning scheme implementation : A case study into how members of a community engage in the development assessment process in Queensland
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe
-
Doctor Philosophy
Residents¿ perceptions of a government-initiated anti-gating policy: A study of open communities in Shanghai
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi, Dr Sara Alidoust
-
Doctor Philosophy
Digital Deconcentration and the Changing Face of American Cities: Examining the Effects of Working from Home on America¿s Post-pandemic Urbanisation.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Thomas Sigler
Completed supervision
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Sustainable Transport Policy Transfer: An Analysis of the Approaches in Five Western Countries and China
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Gender, Transport and Mobility Biography in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Healthy neighbourhood planning: investigating the evolving relationship between urban planning and public health through a path dependence lens
Principal Advisor
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Are cities still building highways? A comparison of Australia and Iran
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Public Space Privatisation: The Experience of Indonesian Cities
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sebastien Darchen
-
2020
Master Philosophy
Climate sensitive urban design: a comparison between Brisbane (Australia) and Nagpur (India)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sebastien Darchen
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Placing power to the people: The Australian community renewable energy movement and place-making in framing for prefigurative collective action.
Principal Advisor
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
A Living Room in the City: The Place of Public Space in the Everyday Lives of Middle Eastern Women in Greater Brisbane
Principal Advisor
-
2022
Master Philosophy
INVESTIGATING THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC STRESS ON STREETS AND BICYCLING ROUTE PREFERENCES: A CASE STUDY ON THE CITY OF BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr David Pullar
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Governance Process in the Implementation of Land Acquisition Plan for Infrastructure Development in Indonesia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sonia Roitman
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Dorina Pojani directly for media enquiries about:
- affordable housing
- community
- compact cities
- cycling
- mobility
- neighbourhood design
- parking
- pedestrian areas
- public transport
- sustainability
- urban planning
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