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Dr Dorina Pojani

Associate Professor, Urban Planning

School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
d.pojani@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 56091

Overview

I am Associate Professor of urban planning. I joined The University of Queensland in 2015 upon completing my postdoctoral residency at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. My research focuses on various aspects of the built environment, including 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 academic journey has been international in nature, as I pursued graduate studies in the United States and Belgium, in addition to my home country of Albania. Over the years, I have held guest teaching and/or research positions in Austria (UWien), Chile (PUC), Italy (IUAV), and Oman (GUTech), and worked as a consultant for various United Nations agencies including the UNDP, UNESCAP, and UN Habitat. My research has been funded by domestic and international granting bodies, including the Australian Research Council. My latest books are Trophy cities: A feminist perspective on new capitals (Edward Elgar, 2021) and Alternative Planning History and Theory (Routledge, 2023). Alongside my academic research, I also publish broadly in non academic outlets, including The Conversation, and regularly give interviews on national and international media. Prior to joining academia, I worked in urban design and planning in California.

For a full list of publications, click the 'Publications' tab, which displays results live from UQ eSpace. To obtain the full text of the publications, visit the following pages:

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Funded Projects*

  • 2023-2025. Project: Evaluation of separated cycle tracks in new developments. Transport Academic Partnership, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Government. Sole grant writer ($65,000 2023-25, TBD 2025+).

  • 2023. Projects: (a) Mobilising equity: Designing great wheels & great wheelable spaces, co-design workshop; (b) A gendered critique of early planned utopian cities. School of Architecture, Design and Planning Seed Funding. Grant co-writer ($6,000).

  • 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. 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) 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. 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. Lead grant writer ($50,000).

  • 2021-2022. Project: Bikeability for Transportation: Tools and Data for Research and Practice. AURIN grant. Grant co-writer ($135,600).

  • 2017-2020. Project: Reclaiming lost ground: Transitions of mobility and parking. Australian Research Council, Linkage grant. 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. 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. 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).

*For a list of grants administered at UQ, see Grants.

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Editorial Boards

Sustainable Cities and Society (since 2023)

Journal of Transport Geography (since 2022)

Australian Planner (since 2022)

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice (since 2021)

Journal of Planning Education and Research (since 2019)

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Research (HDR) Supervision (PhD and MPhil)*

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

  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]

*See also Supervision.

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Teaching Responsibilities

SEES Most Impassioned Teacher Award (2020)

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

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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.

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Service Roles (UQ)

  • Member of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (Faculty of EAIT) [current]
  • Lead of Equity, Diversity of Inclusion (School of ADP) [current]
  • Chair of CALD Working Group (Faculty of EAIT) [current]
  • Member of RAP Network [current]
  • Member of Executive Committee (SEES) [past]
  • Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (SEES) [past]
  • Deputy Chair of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (Faculty of Science) [past]
  • Member of Early and Mid-Career Researchers Reference Group (Faculty of Science) [past]
  • Member of Research Committee (SEES) [past]
  • Member of Health, Safety and Wellness Committee (SEES) [past]

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Languages

English, Albanian, Italian, Spanish, French.

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Research Interests

  • International comparative planning / Planning policy transfer processes
  • Transit Oriented Development (TOD) / Alternative transport
  • Place identity / Urban design history
  • Mobility of children and youth / Gender and transport
  • Neighborhood design / City centers
  • Post-socialism / Transition societies / The Balkans
  • The Global South / Developing countries
  • Informal settlements / Low-income housing

Qualifications

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

Publications

View all Publications

Grants

View all Grants

Supervision

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • Information for prospective students

    Email inquiries are welcome. A list of potential project topics is below:

    • Gender Issues in Urban / Transport Planning
    • Socio-Economic Inequalities and Gentrification
    • Age-Friendly Built Environment
    • Master-Planned Capital Cities / New Cities
    • Transition to Self-Driving Cars
    • Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
    • Active Transport (Walking, Cycling, Scooting)
    • Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
    • Parking Impact in Cities
    • Climate-Sensitive Urban Planning / Design
    • Urban Design as Politics
    • Planning Structures in Authoritarian and Post-Authoritarian States
    • Corruption in Planning

    In addition to the listed topics, 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 listed topics are suitable as a PhD, Master, or Honours Project (can be adjusted to suit either). Prior to emailing me, please take a look at the HDR entry requirements on our planning program site: uq-urbanplanning.org/rhd-research

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book

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.

  • 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

  • Exploring transit-oriented urban design

    Kong, Weichang and Pojani, Dorina (2023). Exploring transit-oriented urban design. The Routledge Handbook of Urban Design Research Methods. (pp. 515-523) New York, NY United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003168621-56

  • 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

  • Planning History and Theory

    Pojani, Dorina (2022). Planning History and Theory. Alternative Planning History and Theory. (pp. 1-14) London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003157588-1

  • Low-carbon transport: policies to encourage cycling in sprawling cities

    Kong, Weichang and Pojani, Dorina (2022). Low-carbon transport: policies to encourage cycling in sprawling cities. The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures. (pp. 1-7) Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-51812-7_273-1

  • Low-carbon transport: policies to encourage cycling in sprawling cities

    Kong, Weichang and Pojani, Dorina (2022). Low-carbon transport: policies to encourage cycling in sprawling cities. The Palgrave encyclopedia of urban and regional futures. (pp. 996-1002) edited by Robert C. Brears. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-87745-3_273

  • 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 (2022). Zero-Carbon Urban Design in a Warming World: Learning from Pre-modern Cities. Palgrave Studies in Energy Transitions. (pp. 1-35) Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-74380-2_37-1

  • Parking policy and bay-sharing for unmooring automobility from cities

    Kimpton, Anthony, Pojani, Dorina, Sipe, Neil and Corcoran, Jonathan (2021). Parking policy and bay-sharing for unmooring automobility from cities. A modern guide to the urban sharing economy. (pp. 87-102) edited by Thomas Sigler and Jonathan Corcoran. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781789909562.00014

  • 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

  • Urban form of informal settlements in the Western Balkans

    Pojani, Dorina (2021). Urban form of informal settlements in the Western Balkans. Informality through sustainability: Urban Informality Now. (pp. 277-292) edited by Antonino Di Raimo, Steffen Lehmann and Alessandro Melis. New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429331701-18

  • Docked and dockless public bike-sharing schemes: research, practice and discourse

    Pojani, Dorina, Chen, Jiashuo, Mateo-Babiano, Iderlina, Bean, Richard and Corcoran, Jonathan (2020). Docked and dockless public bike-sharing schemes: research, practice and discourse. Handbook of sustainable transport. (pp. 129-138) edited by Carey Cutis. Cheltenham, Glos, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781789900477.00025

  • Global homogenization of public space?

    Panjaitan, Tigor W. S., Pojani, Dorina and Darchen, Sébastien (2020). Global homogenization of public space?. Companion to public space. (pp. 165-181) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781351002189-14

  • Global homogenization of public space? a comparison of Western and Eastern contexts

    Panjaitan, Tigor, Pojani, Dorina and Darchen, Sebastien (2020). Global homogenization of public space? a comparison of Western and Eastern contexts. Companion to public space. (pp. 165-181) edited by Vikas Metha and Danilo Palazzo. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

  • Private, hybrid, and public spaces

    Leclercq, Els and Pojani, Dorina (2020). Private, hybrid, and public spaces. Companion to public space. (pp. 249-266) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781351002189-20

  • South–south policy transfer? Transit oriented development from China to sub-Saharan Africa

    Si, Keqi , Wereta, Tsega Gebrekrstos and Pojani, Dorina (2020). South–south policy transfer? Transit oriented development from China to sub-Saharan Africa. Handbook on transport and urban transformation in China. (pp. 404-420) London, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. doi: 10.4337/9781786439246.00033

  • Informal settlements in the Balkans: squatters’ magic realism vs. planners’ modernist fantasy vs. governments’ tolerance and opportunism

    Pojani, Dorina (2019). Informal settlements in the Balkans: squatters’ magic realism vs. planners’ modernist fantasy vs. governments’ tolerance and opportunism. The Routledge handbook on informal urbanization. (pp. 34-43) edited by Roberto Rocco and Jan van Ballegooijen. New York, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315645544-4

  • Setting the agenda for parking research in other cities

    Pojani, Dorina, Kimpton, Anthony, Sipe, Neil, Corcoran, Jonathan, Mateo-Babiano, Iderlina and Stead, Dominic (2019). Setting the agenda for parking research in other cities. Parking: An International Perspective. (pp. 245-260) edited by Dorina Pojani, Jonathan Corcoran, Neil Sipe, Iderlina Mateo-Babiano and Dominic Stead. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-815265-2.00014-5

  • Dutch experiences of policy mobility in urban planning

    Stead, Dominic and Pojani, Dorina (2018). Dutch experiences of policy mobility in urban planning. Knowledge, policymaking and learning for European cities and regions: from research to practice. (pp. 123-134) edited by Nicola Francesco Dotti. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.

  • Learning across cities and regions: the limits to transferring “best practice”

    Stead, Dominic and Pojani, Dorina (2018). Learning across cities and regions: the limits to transferring “best practice”. Knowledge, policymaking and learning for European cities and regions: from research to practice. (pp. 58-67) edited by Nicola Francesco Dotti. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781786433640.00014

  • Past, present and future of transit-oriented development in three European capital city-regions

    Pojani, Dorina and Stead, Dominic (2018). Past, present and future of transit-oriented development in three European capital city-regions. Preparing for the new era of transport policies: learning from experience. (pp. 93-118) edited by Yoram Shiftan and Maria Kamargianni. Cambridge, MA, United States: Academic Press (Elsevier). doi: 10.1016/bs.atpp.2018.07.003

  • Why do some BRT systems in the global south fail to perform or expand?

    Nguyen, Minh Hieu and Pojani, Dorina (2018). Why do some BRT systems in the global south fail to perform or expand?. Preparing for the new era of transport policies: learning from experience. (pp. 35-61) edited by Yoram Shiftan and Maria Kamargianni. Cambridge, MA United States: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.atpp.2018.07.005

  • The urban transport crisis in emerging economies: a comparative overview

    Pojani, Dorina and Stead, Dominic (2017). The urban transport crisis in emerging economies: a comparative overview. The urban transport crisis in emerging economies. (pp. 283-295) edited by Dorina Pojani and Dominic Stead. New York: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-43851-1_14

  • The urban transport crisis in emerging economies: an introduction

    Pojani, Dorina and Stead, Dominic (2017). The urban transport crisis in emerging economies: an introduction. The urban transport crisis in emerging economies. (pp. 1-10) edited by Dorina Pojani and Dominic Stead. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-43851-1_1

  • Bus rapid transit, design and engineering of

    Pojani, Dorina (2014). Bus rapid transit, design and engineering of. Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy. (pp. 321-325) edited by Mark Garrett. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781483346526.n119

  • Women's issues/gender issues

    Pojani, Dorina (2014). Women's issues/gender issues. Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy. (pp. 1731-1734) edited by Mark Garrett. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781483346526.n605

Journal Article

Conference Publication

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.

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Active Citizenship in planning scheme implementation : A case study into how members of a community engage in the development assessment process in Queensland

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Housing affordability issues in Malaysia

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • The current environmental dynamics of the COVID-19 crisis and the challenges ahead in Saudi Arabia and Australia in terms of planning and sustainability

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

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

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Reconstructing A Gender Perspective Approach for a Sustainable New Capital City

    Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • A study of the anti-gating movement from the perspective of non-gated residents: a case from Shanghai

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Optimizing the Distribution of Dockless Sharing Stations Using Geospatial Machine Learning

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Has urban consolidation in Melbourne been successful ?

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Information for prospective students

    Email inquiries are welcome. A list of potential project topics is below:

    • Gender Issues in Urban / Transport Planning
    • Socio-Economic Inequalities and Gentrification
    • Age-Friendly Built Environment
    • Master-Planned Capital Cities / New Cities
    • Transition to Self-Driving Cars
    • Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
    • Active Transport (Walking, Cycling, Scooting)
    • Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
    • Parking Impact in Cities
    • Climate-Sensitive Urban Planning / Design
    • Urban Design as Politics
    • Planning Structures in Authoritarian and Post-Authoritarian States
    • Corruption in Planning

    In addition to the listed topics, 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 listed topics are suitable as a PhD, Master, or Honours Project (can be adjusted to suit either). Prior to emailing me, please take a look at the HDR entry requirements on our planning program site: uq-urbanplanning.org/rhd-research

This staff member is a UQ Expert for media in the following fields:

urban planning, cycling, public transport, mobility, neighbourhood design, community, pedestrian areas, affordable housing, parking, sustainability, compact cities

They are happy to lend their expertise to your articles or broadcasts and share their research discoveries and insights with the community via media channels.

For additional assistance with story ideas, general advice and information or help with seeking further experts, please email the UQ Media Team or telephone (07) 3365 1120.

Links

ResearcherID: B-7888-2016

ORCID: 0000-0002-2018-6338

Scopus ID: 28568070900

Google Scholar ID:

Personal Profile: Link

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