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Dr Dorina Pojani
Dr

Dorina Pojani

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56091

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), Alternative Planning History and Theory (Routledge, 2023), Planning as Political Theatre: Chronicle of Two Megaprojects Foretold (Routledge, 2025), and Early Planning Utopias: A Feminist Critique (Anthem Press, 2025). For five consecutive years (2021-2025), 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 more than 600,000 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. I have attracted more than $1 millon in grant funding.

My funded projects are listed below. 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

Qualifications

  • Urban Transport in Developing Countries, Polytechnic University of Tirana
  • Master of Community Planning, University of Cincinnati

Research interests

  • Feminist planning

    This is not a product but a lens through which I examine urban design, transport, and housing.

Research impacts

Funded Projects*

2026-2027. Project: Study of e-mobility usage across Queensland. Transport Academic Partnership, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Australia. Grant co-writer ($100,000).

2026-2027. Project: Building a dynamic demand forecast tool for shared electric micromobility. UQ Knowledge Exchange and Translation (Kx&T) Fund, Australia. Grant co-writer ($55,500).

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 ($100,000).

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

236 works between 2004 and 2026

21 - 40 of 236 works

2025

Journal Article

Is there a difference in crash self-reports between electric and conventional motorcycles in Vietnam?

Nguyen, Minh Hieu, Nguyen-Phuoc, Duy Quy, Pojani, Dorina, Oviedo-Trespalacios, Oscar, Nguyen, Thanh Chuong, Ha, Thanh Tung, Nguyen, Cao Y., Nguyen, Thanh Tu and An, Minh Ngoc (2025). Is there a difference in crash self-reports between electric and conventional motorcycles in Vietnam?. Traffic Injury and Prevention, 26 (7), 826-834. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2025.2453629

Is there a difference in crash self-reports between electric and conventional motorcycles in Vietnam?

2025

Journal Article

Hybrid machine learning-based approaches for modeling bikeability

Zhang, Lihong, Lieske, Scott N., Pojani, Dorina, Buning, Richard J. and Corcoran, Jonathan (2025). Hybrid machine learning-based approaches for modeling bikeability. Journal of Transport Geography, 123 104150, 104150-123. doi: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2025.104150

Hybrid machine learning-based approaches for modeling bikeability

2025

Journal Article

Intertwined narratives of urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans: a feminist analysis

Llubani, Anjeza and Pojani, Dorina (2025). Intertwined narratives of urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans: a feminist analysis. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-18. doi: 10.1080/14683857.2025.2457814

Intertwined narratives of urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans: a feminist analysis

2025

Other Outputs

Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’

Pojani, Dorina (2025, 01 16). Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’ The Conversation

Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’

2025

Journal Article

Corrigendum to “The impact of China's Transit Metropolis Pilot program on carbon emissions” Research in Transportation Business & Management 64 (2026) 101544 (Research in Transportation Business & Management (2026) 64, (S2210539525002597), (10.1016/j.rtbm.2025.101544))

Ding, Pengxiang, Feng, Suwei and Pojani, Dorina (2025). Corrigendum to “The impact of China's Transit Metropolis Pilot program on carbon emissions” Research in Transportation Business & Management 64 (2026) 101544 (Research in Transportation Business & Management (2026) 64, (S2210539525002597), (10.1016/j.rtbm.2025.101544)). Research in Transportation Business and Management, 64 101552, 101552. doi: 10.1016/j.rtbm.2025.101552

Corrigendum to “The impact of China's Transit Metropolis Pilot program on carbon emissions” Research in Transportation Business & Management 64 (2026) 101544 (Research in Transportation Business & Management (2026) 64, (S2210539525002597), (10.1016/j.rtbm.2025.101544))

2024

Journal Article

The future of personal electric mobility in emerging economies: A survey of e-moto users in Vietnam

Nguyen, Minh Hieu, Pojani, Dorina and Nguyen-Phuoc, Duy Quy (2024). The future of personal electric mobility in emerging economies: A survey of e-moto users in Vietnam. Research in Transportation Business and Management, 57 101227, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.rtbm.2024.101227

The future of personal electric mobility in emerging economies: A survey of e-moto users in Vietnam

2024

Journal Article

Introduction to the Special Issue: ‘Brisbane in the Covid Era’

Pojani, Dorina and Sipe, Neil (2024). Introduction to the Special Issue: ‘Brisbane in the Covid Era’. Australian Planner, 60 (2), 1-3. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2024.2411037

Introduction to the Special Issue: ‘Brisbane in the Covid Era’

2024

Journal Article

Editorial – Conclusion

Pojani, Dorina and Sipe, Neil (2024). Editorial – Conclusion. Australian Planner, 60 (2), 1-2. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2024.2411837

Editorial – Conclusion

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

What drives urban densification? Free market versus government planning in Iran

2024

Journal Article

Why is Vietnam a motorcycle nation? A transport psychology study

Linh Le, Thuy, Pojani, Dorina, Nguyen, Thanh Chuong, Ha, Thanh Tung and Nguyen, Minh Hieu (2024). Why is Vietnam a motorcycle nation? A transport psychology study. European Transport/Trasporti Europei (99) 6, 1-17. doi: 10.48295/et.2024.99.6

Why is Vietnam a motorcycle nation? A transport psychology study

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

The blatant phenomenon of 'election-driven legalization of informality'

2024

Other Outputs

Encouraging cycling could involve ditching helmets

Pojani, Dorina (2024, 07 05). Encouraging cycling could involve ditching helmets 360info

Encouraging cycling could involve ditching helmets

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

Who is more likely to upgrade to e-cars? Comparing the intentions of electric and conventional motorcycle riders in Vietnam

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

Do parents support e-bike use among teenagers, and why? Evidence from Vietnam

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

Sustainability Implications of Working-From-Home (WFH): A Systematic Review of the Travel Behavior Literature

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

Bad weather, hills and the dark deter cyclists, particularly women. So what can we do about it?

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.

New capitals as trophy cities

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

Natural barriers facing female cyclists and how to overcome them: a cross national examination of bikesharing schemes

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

Parking policies in six continents: mixed outcomes and multifaceted barriers to reform

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

Natural barriers facing female cyclists and how to overcome them: a cross national examination of bikesharing schemes

Funding

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Evaluation of separated cycle tracks in new developments
    Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2023
    Bikeability for transportation: tools and data for research and practice
    Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2021
    Reclaiming lost ground: Transitions of mobility and parking
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2016
    Planning Tiger Cub City-regions: role models and policy transfers in sustainable transport in Southeast Asia
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Dorina Pojani is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Information for prospective students

    Email inquiries are welcome. Prior to emailing me, please take a look at the HDR entry requirements on our planning program site: uq-urbanplanning.org/rhd-research. I am a feminist urban planner. For context: Feminist planning is not a product but a lens through which I examine urban design, transport, and housing. I encourage you to propose original topics in my areas of expertise. I am particularly interested in projects which are international and comparative in nature, and can help you refine your ideas. All topics can be adjusted to suit a PhD, Master, or Honours project.

  • Past and current research (HDR) Supervision (PhD and MPhil)

    1. Els Leclercq [completed, associate]
    2. Roja Gholamhosseini [completed, principal]
    3. Annie McCabe [completed, principal]
    4. Renuka Bhoge [completed, principal]
    5. Deti Kusmalawati [completed, associate]
    6. Fahimeh Khalaj [completed, principal]
    7. Tigor Panjaitan [completed, principal]
    8. Melissa Hensley [completed, principal]
    9. Tmnit Hailu [completed, associate]
    10. Ksenia Nikolaeva [completed, associate]
    11. Nirma Yossa [completed, principal]
    12. Weichang Kong [completed, principal]
    13. Paula Grant [principal]
    14. Sufian Almubarak [principal]
    15. Krismiyati Tasrin [principal]
    16. Amjad Hossain Reyad [principal]
    17. Nadia Zaini [principal]
    18. Xuanbo Liu [associate]
    19. Abolghasem Azhdari [associate]

  • Esteem and recognition

    2023: Nominated for UQ Research Culture Award, category 5: Supporting career development for researchers (EMCR)

    2022: Shortlisted for UQ Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research (HDR) Training

    2020: SEES Most Impassioned Teacher Award

  • Teaching experience

    The University of Queensland

    • Planning Theory (PLAN4001 / PLAN7120) – Lecturer & Coordinator [Highly Commended course by AESOP]
    • Transport Planning (PLAN2100 / PLAN7116) – Lecturer & Coordinator [Dean’s Commendation for Excellent Teaching, 2020 and 2021]
    • History of the Built Environment (PLAN2005) – Lecturer & Coordinator
    • Citymaking: Theory and Practice (PLAN4001 / PLAN7120) – Lecturer

    Internationally

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • 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

    Housing affordability issues in Malaysia

    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

    Reconstructing A Gender Perspective Approach for a Sustainable New Capital City

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Sara Alidoust

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Right to Housing: Evaluating the Process of De-Socialization of Housing in Urban Areas

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Digital Deconcentration and the Changing Face of American Cities: Examining the Effects of Working from Home on Post-pandemic Urbanisation.

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Thomas Sigler

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Co-Creating Urban Public Spaces in Southeast Asia: The Role of Civic Urbanisms and Participatory Practices in Crafting Socio-Ecological Sustainability

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Silvia Micheli

  • 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

Completed supervision

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

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au