Overview
Background
My research centers on the intersections of Urban Planning and Public Health, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and practical application. I deliver transdisciplinary solutions to some of the most compelling challenges of our time, 'housing vulnerability' and 'the health outcomes of citymaking'. My work stands out through the application of Systems Thinking to complex planning issues, particularly housing and its health impacts. I explore the connections between planning and the physical, mental, and social health of communities. My primary focus is on developing resilient cities capable of maintaining their liveability over time, especially amidst disruptive events and shocks.
Availability
- Dr Sara Alidoust is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University
Research interests
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Planning for Social Sustainability and Community Wellbeing
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Planning Resilient and liveable Cities
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Age-Friendly Planning
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Housing Vulnerability and Informal Housing in the Global North
Research impacts
My research findings significantly contribute to translating knowledge for research end-users, including planning practitioners and the community. Focused on fostering more resilient and liveable cities, my research findings directly inform planning practice and policymaking initiatives, thereby enhancing the quality of life for communities. Moreover, my research extends to enhancing planning policies by critically analysing existing frameworks, particularly in areas like housing and liveable/resilient planning, on both national and international scales. Through rigorous exploratory research, such as examining issues like informal housing, and active engagement with end-users, including collecting data from older individuals and other vulnerable community members, my work illuminates real-world planning challenges and provides actionable insights to address societal needs.
Works
Search Professor Sara Alidoust’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Journal Article
Planning for livable compact vertical cities: A quantitative systematic review of the impact of urban geometry on thermal and visual comfort in high-rise precincts
Caswell, Helen, Alidoust, Sara and Corcoran, Jonathan (2024). Planning for livable compact vertical cities: A quantitative systematic review of the impact of urban geometry on thermal and visual comfort in high-rise precincts. Sustainable Cities and Society 106007, 106007. doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2024.106007
2024
Journal Article
Sustaining a resilient housing system in southeast Queensland
Alidoust, Sara, Wyeth, Stephanie, Reddel, Tim, Cornish, Gillian, Lata, Lutfun Nahar, Johnson, Laurel and Shaweesh, Maram (2024). Sustaining a resilient housing system in southeast Queensland. Australian Planner, 60 (2), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/07293682.2024.2309352
2024
Journal Article
Older people, house-sitting and ethics of care
Alidoust, Sara (2024). Older people, house-sitting and ethics of care. International Journal of Housing Policy, 24 (2), 191-210. doi: 10.1080/19491247.2022.2097853
2023
Journal Article
Sustained liveable cities: the interface of liveability and resiliency
Alidoust, Sara (2023). Sustained liveable cities: the interface of liveability and resiliency. Cities and Health, 8 (6), 1108-1119. doi: 10.1080/23748834.2023.2260132
2023
Book Chapter
Mapping urban transport - land use interactions worldwide, a state of practice
Khalaj, Fahimeh, Alidoust, Sara and Pojani, Dorina (2023). Mapping urban transport - land use interactions worldwide, a state of practice. Handbook on transport and land use. (pp. 147-166) edited by João de Abreu e Silva, Kristina Currans, Veronique Van Acker and Robert Schneider. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781800370258.00015
2022
Book Chapter
Smart densification
Ahmad, Mubeen, Darchen, Sebastien, Alidoust, Sara and Sipe, Neil (2022). Smart densification. The Palgrave encyclopedia of urban and regional futures. (pp. 1520-1528) edited by Robert C. Brears. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-87745-3_278
2022
Journal Article
A systematic review of planning policies for community wellbeing
Alidoust, Sara, Gleeson, Nikita and Khalaj, Fahimeh (2022). A systematic review of planning policies for community wellbeing. Journal of Urbanism, 17 (4), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/17549175.2022.2071971
2022
Journal Article
Master planned communities for healthy living: a systematic literature review
Alidoust, Sara and Huang, Wei (2022). Master planned communities for healthy living: a systematic literature review. Urban Policy and Research, 40 (2), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/08111146.2022.2057945
2022
Other Outputs
‘Where would we live otherwise?’: the rise of house-sitting among older Australians
Alidoust, Sara (2022, 02 18). ‘Where would we live otherwise?’: the rise of house-sitting among older Australians The Conversation
2022
Book Chapter
Planning Healthy and Livable Cities
Alidoust, Sara (2022). Planning Healthy and Livable Cities. The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures. (pp. 1-5) Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_277-1
2021
Journal Article
An exploratory study of house-sitting and ‘home’-making among older people
Alidoust, Sara and Khalaj, Fahimeh (2021). An exploratory study of house-sitting and ‘home’-making among older people. Australian Geographer, 52 (4), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/00049182.2021.1999612
2021
Journal Article
A decade of research on housing and health: a systematic literature review
Alidoust, Sara and Huang, Wei (2021). A decade of research on housing and health: a systematic literature review. Reviews on Environmental Health, 45-64. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0121
2021
Journal Article
Lest we forget: media predictions of a post-Covid-19 urban future
Pojani, Dorina and Alidoust, Sara (2021). Lest we forget: media predictions of a post-Covid-19 urban future. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 16 (2), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/17549175.2021.1944283
2021
Book Chapter
Planning Active Travel and School Transport
Fahimeh Khalaj, Pojani, Dorina and Alidoust, Sara (2021). Planning Active Travel and School Transport. International Encyclopedia of Transportation. (pp. 432-436) Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-08-102671-7.10792-4
2020
Other Outputs
Case studies: housing initiatives in Queensland
Bruhn, Cameron and Alidoust, Sara (2020). Case studies: housing initiatives in Queensland. Architecture Australia, 109 (5), 63-71.
2020
Journal Article
Housing initiatives and opportunities in Queensland
Bruhn, Cameron and Alidoust, Sara (2020). Housing initiatives and opportunities in Queensland. Architecture Australia, 109 (5), 63-65.
2020
Journal Article
The "Hothouse Community" and its implications for older age residents
Alidoust, Sara, Bosman, Caryl and Holden, Gordon (2020). The "Hothouse Community" and its implications for older age residents. Urban Policy and Research, 38 (2), 132-149. doi: 10.1080/08111146.2020.1753688
2019
Journal Article
Rethinking Australian CSG transitions in participatory contexts of local social conflict, community engagement, and shifts towards cleaner energy
Hindmarsh, Richard and Alidoust, Sara (2019). Rethinking Australian CSG transitions in participatory contexts of local social conflict, community engagement, and shifts towards cleaner energy. Energy Policy, 132, 272-282. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.05.035
2019
Journal Article
Planning for healthy ageing: how the use of third places contributes to the social health of older populations
Alidoust, Sara, Bosman, Caryl and Holden, Gordon (2019). Planning for healthy ageing: how the use of third places contributes to the social health of older populations. Ageing and Society, 39 (7), 1459-1484. doi: 10.1017/s0144686x18000065
2019
Book Chapter
Planning for healthy ageing: How the use of third places contributes to the social health of older populations
Alidoust, Sara and Bosman, Caryl (2019). Planning for healthy ageing: How the use of third places contributes to the social health of older populations. Rethinking Third Places: Informal Public Spaces and Community Building. (pp. 38-55) edited by Joanne Dolley and Caryl Bosman. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Sara Alidoust is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Planning Healthy Cities
Associations between urban planning and physical, mental and social health. Some topics include: 1. The role of built environment and planning policies in physical activity, active transport, healthy behaviours. 2. Urban planning impacts on social capital and community cohesion. 3. Planning policies and built environmental design for mental health. 4. Urban Green space and community health.
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Climate Change and Community Health
Health impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, including older people. Some topics include: 1. Green infrastructure and community health. 2. Integrated policy frameworks for sustainable, healthy and resilient cities. 3. Urban heat stress and community health.
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Planning Age-friendly Cities
Urban planns and policies aimed at developing enabling environments for older people to live an active life and stay engaged in the community. Some topics include: 1. Planning policies for developing age-friendly cities. 2. Emerging housing models and lifestyles for older people, e.g. house-sitting, co-living. 3. Neighbourhood planning for healthy ageing. 4. Master planned communities and community development for an ageing population.
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Urban Planning for Social Sustainability
Some topics include: 1. Developing evaluation frameworks for social sustainability. 2. Developing evaluation frameworks for community wellbeing. 3. Community engagement in planning policy.
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Housing Planning and Policy
Some topics include: 1. Informal housing in the Global North. 2. Informal housing and the ageing population. 3. Health impacts of informal housing. 4. Resilient housing systems. 5. Systems thinking and housing policies.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Delivering the Sustainable Cities of the Future: Defining an Approach to Catalyse Change in Urban Development Outcomes
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
A study of the anti-gating movement from the perspective of non-gated residents: a case from Shanghai
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani, Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi
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Doctor Philosophy
Planning for health and wellbeing in high-rise precincts: Understanding the role of 'breathing space'
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jonathan Corcoran
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Doctor Philosophy
Policy Barriers to Livable Cities in South East Queensland
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
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Doctor Philosophy
Bridging Theory and Practice: An Integrated Approach to Urban Growth Management
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe, Dr Sebastien Darchen
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Doctor Philosophy
Housing affordability issues in Malaysia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
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Doctor Philosophy
The current environmental dynamics of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges ahead in Saudi Arabia and Australia in terms of planning and sustainability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
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Master Philosophy
The socio-environmental benefits of alleyways over planned settlement patterns: The case of hems in Ho Chi Minh City
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Silvia Micheli
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Doctor Philosophy
Active transport and gender issues: A comparison between Brisbane and Sylhet
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
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Doctor Philosophy
Reconstructing A Gender Perspective Approach for a Sustainable New Capital City
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Bridging Theory and Practice: An Integrated Approach to Urban Growth Management
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe, Dr Sebastien Darchen
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Restoring the natural water cycle in cities: an urban design framework
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Steven Kenway, Associate Professor Paola Leardini
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Sara Alidoust directly for media enquiries about:
- Community Engagement in Planning and Policy Making
- Master Planned Community Developments
- Neighbourhood Planning and Loneliness
- Planning Age Friendly Cities
- Planning Healthy Cities
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