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Dr Sara Alidoust
Dr

Sara Alidoust

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 56671

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

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University

Research interests

  • Planning for Social Sustainability and Community Wellbeing

  • Planning Resilient and liveable Cities

  • Age-Friendly Planning

  • 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

30 works between 2014 and 2024

1 - 20 of 30 works

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

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

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

Sustaining a resilient housing system in southeast Queensland

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

Older people, house-sitting and ethics of care

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

Sustained liveable cities: the interface of liveability and resiliency

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

Mapping urban transport - land use interactions worldwide, a state of practice

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

Smart densification

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

A systematic review of planning policies for community wellbeing

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

Master planned communities for healthy living: a systematic literature review

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

‘Where would we live otherwise?’: the rise of house-sitting among older Australians

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

Planning Healthy and Livable Cities

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

An exploratory study of house-sitting and ‘home’-making among older people

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

A decade of research on housing and health: a systematic literature review

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

Lest we forget: media predictions of a post-Covid-19 urban future

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

Planning Active Travel and School Transport

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.

Case studies: housing initiatives in Queensland

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.

Housing initiatives and opportunities in Queensland

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

The "Hothouse Community" and its implications for older age residents

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

Rethinking Australian CSG transitions in participatory contexts of local social conflict, community engagement, and shifts towards cleaner energy

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

Planning for healthy ageing: how the use of third places contributes to the social health of older populations

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.

Planning for healthy ageing: How the use of third places contributes to the social health of older populations

Supervision

Availability

Dr Sara Alidoust is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Delivering the Sustainable Cities of the Future: Defining an Approach to Catalyse Change in Urban Development Outcomes

    Principal Advisor

  • 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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Planning for health and wellbeing in high-rise precincts: Understanding the role of 'breathing space'

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jonathan Corcoran

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Policy Barriers to Livable Cities in South East Queensland

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Bridging Theory and Practice: An Integrated Approach to Urban Growth Management

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Honorary Professor Neil Sipe, Dr Sebastien Darchen

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Housing affordability issues in Malaysia

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani

  • 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

  • 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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Active transport and gender issues: A comparison between Brisbane and Sylhet

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Reconstructing A Gender Perspective Approach for a Sustainable New Capital City

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani

Completed supervision

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

Need help?

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

communications@uq.edu.au