Local Organising Committee 

Associate Professor Mirko Guaralda

School of Architecture and Built Environment
Queensland University of Technology

Dr Mirko Guaralda, Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology, is internationally recognised for his expertise in people-centred urban design, urban morphology, and community involvement. He has held research roles at USSC in Sydney and visiting professorships in Thailand, China, and Poland. A passionate educator, he explores innovative studio teaching and technology integration in the curriculum. Dr. Guaralda has supervised over 20 HDR candidates to completion, with most now employed at leading research institutions.

Dr Sara Alidoust

School of Architecture, Design and Planning
The University of Queensland

Dr. Sara Alidoust is a senior lecturer in Planning at the School of Architecture, Design, and Planning at The University of Queensland. Her research bridges Urban Planning and Public Health, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and practical application. Applying Systems Thinking to complex planning challenges, Sara develops transdisciplinary solutions to pressing issues, including housing vulnerability and the health impacts of citymaking, to enhance community resilience and wellbeing. Her work examines the vital connections between urban planning and the physical, mental, and social health of communities, focusing on creating cities that maintain liveability and adaptability amidst disruptive events and shocks.

Dr Sébastien Darchen

School of Architecture, Design and Planning
The University of Queensland

Dr Sébastien Darchen is a Senior Lecturer in Planning at the School of Architecture Design and Planning (ADP) at UQ. He was previously affiliated with the Faculty of Environmental Studies (York University, Toronto) from 2009 to 2011. He holds a PhD in Urban Studies obtained in 2008 from INRS, Urbanisation, Culture et Société (Montréal, Canada).Dr Darchen studies the political economy of the built environment with a focus on the strategies of urban stakeholders involved in the provision of the built environment (Developers, City Planners, Designers). His research interests include the study of local music scenes in cities.

Dr Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes

School of Engineering and Built Environment
Griffith University

Dr Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes is an urban and environmental planner with thirty years of experience in teaching and researching in the United States, Turkey, and Australia. She is the Program Director of Urban and Environmental Planning at Griffith University and a member of the Cities Research Institute. Aysin has expertise in environmental planning, natural resource management, governance and collaborative planning, regional planning, and growth management. Her research focuses on climate change adaptation and urban/disaster resilience, water resource management, sustainability and urbanisation in subtropical areas and coastal cities. 

Dr Tony Matthews

School of Engineering and Built Environment
Griffith University

Dr Tony Matthews is an urban planner, scholar and international advocate for good cities. His award-winning work addresses current and emerging urban and environmental challenges through research, engagement and practice. Dr Matthews is a faculty member at Griffith University. His proven capacity for translating insights into understandable and actionable terms benefits policymakers, professionals and communities. His research is translated into multiple languages, widely informing global scholarship and policy formation. 

Dr Alessio Russo

School of Architecture and Built Environment
Queensland University of Technology

Dr Russo is a Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture and Built Environment. A recognised expert in urban ecosystem services and green infrastructure, his research focuses on the critical intersection of these areas with human health and climate change. Prior to joining QUT, Dr Russo held senior academic positions at the University of Gloucestershire, UK (Senior Lecturer and Academic Course Leader, 2019-2024), RUDN University in Moscow, Russia (Associate Professor, 2018), and FEFU, Vladivostok (Professor and Head of Laboratory of Urban and Landscape Design, 2016-2018). Dr Russo serves on editorial boards of well-known peer-reviewed journals such as Urban Planning (Cogitatio Press), Discovering Cities (Springer Nature), Urban Resilience and Sustainability (AIMS Press), Journal of Parks (MDPI). He is also an associate editor of Urban Agriculture and Regional Food Systems (Wiley).