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 equity' and 'healthy cities'. My work stands out through the application of Systems Thinking to complex planning issues and I explore the connections between planning and the physical, mental, and social health of individuals and 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 individuals and communities. My research also 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. Moreover, 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
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
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
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
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.
2018
Journal Article
Talking while walking: an investigation of perceived neighbourhood walkability and its implications for the social life of older people
Alidoust, Sara, Bosman, Caryl and Holden, Gordon (2018). Talking while walking: an investigation of perceived neighbourhood walkability and its implications for the social life of older people. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 33 (1), 133-150. doi: 10.1007/s10901-017-9558-1
2017
Journal Article
Master planned communities for the ageing population: how sociable are they?
Alidoust, Sara and Bosman, Caryl (2017). Master planned communities for the ageing population: how sociable are they?. Cities and Health, 1 (1), 38-46. doi: 10.1080/23748834.2017.1393242
2017
Journal Article
The spatial dimensions of neighbourhood: how older people define it
Alidoust, Sara, Bosman, Caryl, Holden, Gordon, Shearer, Heather and Shutter, Leigh (2017). The spatial dimensions of neighbourhood: how older people define it. Journal of Urban Design, 22 (5), 547-567. doi: 10.1080/13574809.2017.1336057
2017
Other Outputs
Planning for socially healthy ageing – A study of neighbourhood environments and their impacts on the social lives of older people
Alidoust, Sara (2017). Planning for socially healthy ageing – A study of neighbourhood environments and their impacts on the social lives of older people. PhD Thesis, School of Environment, Griffith University.
2017
Journal Article
Research for City Practice
Grant, Marcus, Brown, Caroline, Caiaffa, Waleska T., Capon, Anthony, Corburn, Jason, Coutts, Chris, Crespo, Carlos J., Ellis, Geraint, Ferguson, George, Fudge, Colin, Hancock, Trevor, Lawrence, Roderick J., Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J., Oni, Tolu , Thompson, Susan, Wagenaar, Cor , Ward Thompson, Catharine, Alidoust, Sara, Bosman, Caryl, Schnake-Mahl, Alina, Norman, Sarah, Kent, Jennifer Lee, Ma, Liang, Mulley, Corinne and Siri, José (2017). Research for City Practice. Cities and Health, 1 (1), 10-21. doi: 10.1080/23748834.2017.1396750
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Sara Alidoust is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose 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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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.
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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
Planning age-friendly cities 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.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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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
Hem Urban Villages in Ho Chi Minh City: A Model for Community-Driven Urbanism
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Silvia Micheli
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Doctor Philosophy
Design urban blue-green spaces for the elderlies subjective well-being in metropolitan environments
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Silvia Micheli, Dr Dan Luo, Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi
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Doctor Philosophy
Developing a climate-resilient framework for healthy cities
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ray Maher, Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi
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Doctor Philosophy
Valuing environmental sustainability in the built environment sector, focusing on housing in Southeast Queensland
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Paul Matthew, Dr Ray Maher
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Doctor Philosophy
Housing as a feminist issue: The case of Kuching, Sarawak
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
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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
New capital cities: Assessing gender inclusion in Nusantara's planning and design
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
Completed supervision
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2026
Doctor Philosophy
Of Cost and Consequence: How Cost-Based Decision-Making Shapes the Design Ambitions of Residential Development
Principal Advisor
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2026
Doctor Philosophy
Residents' perceptions of a government-initiated anti-gating policy: A study of open communities in Shanghai
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani, Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi
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2026
Doctor Philosophy
Are car-free lifestyles feasible in low-density, sprawling contexts? A comparison of a city in Australia and Saudi Arabia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dorina Pojani
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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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