Transforming Cities

Prof. Ali Cheshmehzangi is Head of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning and a Professor at The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia. He is among the top 30 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Urban Sustainability Book Series with Springer Nature. With a career spanning over two decades, he has made significant contributions to the academic and professional communities, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally conscious design. So far, Ali has published over 500 journal papers, articles, conference papers, book chapters, and reports. He also has 39 academic books, three of which have received awards at the international, national, provincial, and municipal levels. He also has received international awards and recognition for his research on urban resilience studies and sustainability research, as well as a Vice-Chancellor’s award for his impactful contribution to higher education.  Prof. May Tan-Mullins is a political ecologist and passionate advocate for sustainability. She is currently Provost and CEO of the University of Reading Malaysia. Previously, she held leadership positions at various higher education institutions, and more recently at James Cook University Singapore. As a Professor of Sustainability, Professor Tan-Mullins’ research interests span the political ecology of rising China, environmental and energy justice, poverty alleviation, and building resilience for marginalized communities against climate change. Leveraging her expertise in international development and human security, she has provided consultancy services to organizations such as the UNDP, the National Bureau of Asian Research, the Revenue Watch Institute, and the Chinese government. Professor Tan-Mullins has been honored with multiple provincial and municipal awards from the Chinese government and the prestigious Rockefeller Bellagio writing residency.  Additionally, she serves as an advisor for the green startup Skilledin Green, an executive committee member for The Association of Southeast Asian Studies, and the board secretary for the Mr and Mrs Wong Centre for the Study of Multinational Corporations. Prof. Martin de Jong is Scientific Director of the Erasmus Initiative 'Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity', one of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) flagship research initiatives. It was jointly established by Erasmus School of Law (ESL), Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) and Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) and aims to gain knowledge on the inclusion of weak or less-well represented stakeholders in governance and management. It also has an agenda setting role in the broader societal and political debate on this topic. Along with the above position he is professor at both ESL and RSM (each for 50% of his time) and has a part-time professor position at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA) of Fudan University in Shanghai. Given his 25 year international experience in research, education and entrepreneurship on public policy, decision making, urban studies, infrastructure development and cross-cultural management, it is his goal to make the initiative both locally relevant through knowledge dissemination in the Randstad Area and to give it strong global exposure by establishing partnerships in a number of leading universities around the world. During his career, Martin de Jong has specialized in the following topics: policy and governance, planning and decision-making in China, transport infrastructures, sustainable urban development, city branding, Corporate Social Responsibility and cross-cultural management.

• Chapter 1: Rethinking Urban Futures: The Case for Transformative Growth.- Part 1: Urban Growth.- Chapter 2: Urban Transformation in Japan: The Challenge of Brownfield Redevelopment.- Chapter 3: Earthquake-Resilient Urban Form: Design Strategies for Emergency Access, Rescue Operations, and Post-Disaster Recovery.- Chapter 4: Towards Livable Streets: Physical Factors for Enhanced Urban Growth and Street Design.- Part 2: Resilience.- Chapter 5: Planning Cooling Structures for Climate-Resilient Cities: A Configurational Approach to Optimizing Urban Green Spaces in Tehran, Iran.- Chapter 6: Resilient Urban Planning to Enhance the Architectural, Urban and Landscape Identity of the City: The Example of Dunkirk.- Chapter 7: Solar-Optimized Urban Form: Reimagining the Sustainable Block for Energy Resilience and Social Connectivity.- Chapter 8: Adaptation and Thermal Resilience Construction in Subtropical Urban Communities.- Part 3: Ecological Innovation.- Chapter 9: Participation Pathways for Enhancing the Resilience of Heritage to Stormwater Risks: Suzhou Section of Grand Canal.- Chapter 10: Between Rice Fields and Resorts: Mapping the Urban-Ecological Nexus in the Face of Urban Growth and Ecological Balance in Southern Bali.- Chapter 11: Resilient Cities Reimagined: Towards Transformative Growth through Ecological Innovation.- Chapter 12: Assessment of Floating Parks Based on Coastal Park Design Criteria.- Chapter 13: Future Proofing Cities: From Expansionary Urbanism to Transformative Growth.