Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Public Spaces through a Systems Modelling Approach
Even though we have had already a few publications out of our Urban Design and Town Planning in response to COVID-19 project, I realised I failed to publish here about this one. This paper came out a while ago in the Special Issue 2020: A Year without Public Space under the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Read more…
BASC Lab on the news
USC has recently published a media release about the Bioclimatic and Sociotechnical Cities (BASC) Lab which is led by Dr Nicholas Stevens and myself, and is part of the university’s School of Law and Society and the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems.
The BASC Lab is focused both on teaching and research, and will help us to enhance a human-centred approach to urban design and town planning by considering the many factors of the physical environment that impact on people.
Read more…Urban design policy recommendations for mitigating the human health risks associated with heatwaves
Ryan McNeilly-Smith and I are undertaking a research project on how urban design solutions can assist in mitigating the human health risks associated with extreme heat events. Read more…
Ilse Crawford on Interior Design
(…) We spend 87% of our lives inside buildings.
How they are designed really affects how we feel, how we behave.
Design is not just a visual thing.
It is a thought process. It is a skill.
Ultimately design is a tool to enhance our humanity.
It is a frame for life.
(Ilse Crawford: Interior Design; in Abstract: The Art of Design) Read more…
Sensing Cities: Smart Thermal Comfort for Climate Adaptation
Quite unexpectedly, last week I was interviewed by Channel 7 (Cairns) and WINNEWS. The interviews aired on the 26th November. Read more…
Urban growth, heat islands, humidity, climate change: the costs multiply in tropical cities
Taha Chaiechi, James Cook University and Silvia Tavares, James Cook University
Some 60% of the planet’s expected urban area by 2030 is yet to be built. This forecast highlights how rapidly the world’s people are becoming urban. Cities now occupy about 2% of the world’s land area, but are home to about 55% of the world’s people and generate more than 70% of global GDP, plus the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
So what does this mean for people who live in the tropical zones, where 40% of the world’s population lives? On current trends, this figure will rise to 50% by 2050. With tropical economies growing some 20% faster than the rest of the world, the result is a swift expansion of tropical cities. Read more…
JCU postgraduate scholarships
Applications for postgraduate research scholarships at James Cook University are now open and I’d love to hear from candidates interested in urban design, planning, urban microclimates, sensing cities, climate responsive urban design, architecture design and performance and any related topics.
JCU Street Sketching in Townsville: An Approach to Drawing in the Street
Richard Briggs will lead a sketching workshops in Townsville on Friday, 6th and Saturday, 7th September.
Urban Planning & Design for the Sustainable Development Goals
Dr Taha Chaiechi and I are delivering a presentation this Thursday (29th August) about the JCU Urban Thinkers Campus and their related topics. Read more…
Building a climate-proof future
This article was originally published on 28th June on JCU’s Brighter website.
As climate change continues to wreak its path through tropical communities, architects and urban planners are combatting the potentially disastrous effects with innovative design solutions.
Dr. Silvia Tavares “designs cities with an eye on the climate”. A leading urban designer and senior lecturer at James Cook University, Dr. Tavares has a passion for creating places that foster connection and wellbeing, while being sustainable for the future. Read more…
SILVIA TAVARES 