Sustainable Transport, Infrastructure & Cities Research Group

Our research centres on understanding how to deliver sustainable transformations within urban systems.

Shared Aims

To develop an inter-disciplinary, complex approach to understanding, framing, delivering and monitoring sustainable transformations in urban systems;
To develop methods, policies and tools which can assist in the transformation process;
To critically evaluate and advance the theories and methods in the field.

Core Focus

The research group focuses on delivering sustainable transformations within urban systems exploring the role of institutions, policy instruments, spatial planning, urban design and infrastructures in shaping and governing these processes. We seek to create resource efficient, low carbon, resilient, regenerative, socially-just, smart, economically sustainable, nature-inspired urban systems. We investigate how infrastructural changes transform economies, lifestyles and social practices drawing upon international examples, and investigating the translation of best practice. Our work spans these key themes:

Cities – sustainable, circular, smart, low carbon, resilient and shrinking cities
Resources – energy, land, water, materials
Infrastructure and Transport – transport, energy, social (schools, hospitals, community housing e.t.c), green, water, telecommunications, ports, major infrastructure projects
Measurement – indicators, appraisal & evaluation methodologies, monitoring
Governance – transformation, transitions, translation, scenarios

Staff

Staff

	Dr Lauren Andres Associate Professor in Urban Planning View Lauren's profile Send Lauren an email
	Dr Jonas De Vos Lecturer in Transport Planning View Jonas' profile Send Jonas an email
	Dr Marco Dean Lecturer in Infrastructure Planning View Marco's profile Send Marco an email
	Professor Harry Dimitriou Bartlett Professor of Planning Studies View Harry's profile Send Harry an email
	Dr Dan Durrant Lecturer in Infrastructure Planning View Dan's profile Send Dan an email
	Dr Iqbal Hamiduddin Director of Housing and City Planning Lecturer View Iqbal's profile Send Iqbal an email
	Dr Robin Hickman Reader in Transport and City Planning View Robin's profile Send Robin an email
	Dr Lucy Natarajan Associate Professor View Lucy's profile Send Lucy an email
	Professor Yvonne Rydin Chair of Planning, Environment and Public Policy Director for MPhil/PhD Programme View Yvonne's profile Send Yvonne an email
	Dr Tse-Hui Teh Lecturer Careers Tutor View Tse-Hui's profile Send Tse-Hui an email
	Dr Catalina Turcu Associate Professor Development and Planning Programme Director for MSc Sustainable Urbanism View Catalina's profile Send Catalina an email
	Dr John Ward Lecturer in Infrastructure PlanningProgramme Director for MSc Infrastructure Planning, Appraisal and Delivery View John’s profile Send John an email
	Professor Jo Williams Professor View Jo's profile Send Jo an email View Jo's personal website
	Dr Fangzhu Zhang Associate Professor Joint Coordinator of the China Planning Research Group View Fangzhu's profile Send Fangzhu an email

PhD Researchers

	Vafa Dianati Vafa is an architect and urban researcher. His research interests include Sustainable Development, Political Economy of Urban Transformation, Space and Place Scholarship, Critical Urban Theory, Urban Politics, and Social Housing Policies. View Vafa's Profile
	Dongho Han View Dongho's Profile
	Lisa Juangbhanich View Lisa's Profile
	Ju Eun Kim View Ju Eun's Profile
	Marjan Marjanovic View Marjan's Profile
	Jorge Martin Sainz De Los Terreros View Jorge's Profile
	Ruth Sepulveda Marquez View Ruth's Profile Ruth's interests lie in the discourses and governance networks developed by urban agriculture projects under neoliberalism, including perspectives around community participation, social capital, the circulation of knowledge, environmental awareness and perception of the territory.
	Yuerong Zhang View Yuerong's Profile Yuerong's research focuses on working towards better understanding of metro system resilience from joint perspectives: an intra-urban study of Greater London.

Recent Publications

January 2023

Hook, H., De Vos, J., Van Acker, V., Witlox, F. (2023). A comparative analysis of determinants, characteristics, and experiences of four daily trip types. Travel Behaviour and Society 30, 335-343

November 2022

Andres, L., Bryson, J., Mehanna, H., & Moawad, P. (2022). Learning from COVID-19 and planning post-pandemic cities to reduce pathogen transmission pathways. Town Planning Review

Denoon-Stevens, S., Andres, L., Nel, V. Jones, P. (2022) Unpacking planners' views of the success and failure of planning in post-apartheid South Africa. Cities

He, D., Sun, G., De Vos, J., Webster, C. (2022). The effects of metro interventions on physical activity and walking among older adults: A natural experiment in Hong Kong. Health and Place 78, 102939

Liu, L., Dennett, A. & Hickman, R. (2022). Social equity impacts of rail transit investments using community perceptions: evidence from Chongqing. Transportation Planning and Technology

Hickman, R. (2022). Gridlock nation - and the neoliberal solution. Town & Country Planning

October 2022

Andres, L., Bryson, J.R., Bakare, H. & Pope, F. (2022). Institutional logics and regional policy failure: Air pollution as a wicked problem in East African cities. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space

Camilleri, R., Attard, M. & Hickman, R. (2022). Understanding barriers to modal shift in Malta: A practice-theoretical perspective of everyday mobility. Journal of Transport Geography

September 2022

Andres, L., Bryston, J.R., Graves, W. & Warf, B. (2022). Urban value chains and re-framing agglomeration-centric conceptions of urban theory Urban Geography

Moawad, P., Andres, L. (2022) Refugees in Abject Spaces, Protracted ‘Waiting’ and Spatialities of Abjection during the COVID-19 pandemic, Social and Cultural Geography

August 2022

Andres, L., Denoon-Stevens, S., Bryson, J. R., Bakare, H., & Melgaço, L. (2023). Planning for sustainable urban livelihoods in Africa. In Fiona Nunan, Clare Barnes, Sukanya Krishnamurthy, The Routledge handbook on livelihoods in the Global South

Cheng, L., Wang, K., De Vos, J., Huang, J., Witlox, F. (2022). Exploring non-linear built environment effects on the integration of free-floating bike-share and urban rail transport: A quantile regression approach. Transportation Research Part A 162, 175-187

July 2022

De Vos, J., Lättman, K., van der Vlugt, A-L., Welsch, J., Otsuka, N. (2022). Determinants and effects of perceived walkability: a literature review, conceptual model and research agenda. Transport Reviews

Williams, J. (2022). Challenges to implementing circular development – lessons from London. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, Volume: 14, Issue: 01, pages 287 - 303.

March 2022

Zhang, Y., Cao, M., Cheng, L., Gao, X., De Vos, J., (2022). Exploring the temporal variations in accessibility to health services for older adults: A case study in Greater London. Journal of Transport & Health 24, 101334.

February 2022

Hickman, R. & Huaylla Sallo, k. (2022) The political economy of streetspace reallocation projects: Aldgate Square and Bank Junction, London, Journal of Urban Design

January 2022

Camilleri, R., Attard, M. & Hickman, R. (2022). Future low-carbon transport scenarios: practice theory-based visioning for backcasting studie s. Sustainability, 14, 74.

December 2021

De Vos, J., Shi, K., Cheng, L., Yang, Y., Witlox, F., (2021) 'The influence of the built environment on online purchases of intangible services: Examining the mediating role of online purchase attitudes.' Transport Policy 114, 116-126

November 2021

De Vos, J., Mouratidis, K., Cheng, L., Kamruzzaman, M., (2021) 'Does a residential relocation enable satisfying travel?' Transportation Research Part A 153, 188-201

October 2021

De Vos, J., Hook, H., Van Acker, V., Witlox, F., (2021) 'On undirected trips, satisfaction, and well-being: Evidence from Flanders (Belgium)' Transportation Research Part D 99, 103018

September 2021

De Vos, J., Yang, Y., Cao, M., Cheng, L., Zhai, K., Zhao, X., (2021) 'Exploring the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in travel behaviour: A qualitative study.' Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 11, 100450

August 2021

De Vos, J., Humagain, P., Singleton, P.A., (2021) 'Analyzing travel captivity by measuring the gap in travel satisfaction between chosen and alternative commute modes.' Transportation Research Part D 97, 102965

July 2021

De Vos, J., Singleton, P.A., Gärling, T., (2021) 'From attitude to satisfaction: introducing the travel mode choice cycle.' Transport Reviews

De Vos, J., Waygood, E.O.D., Letarte, L., Cao, M., (2021) 'Do frequent satisfying trips by public transport impact its intended use in later life?' Transportation

June 2021

Rydin, Y. (2021). Theory in Planning Research. Palgrave Macmillan

Zhang, Y. (2021). Understanding the roles of rail stations: Insights from network approaches in the London metropolitan area. Journal of Transport

Zhang, Y., Marshall, S., Cao, M., Manley, E. & Chen, H. (2021). Discovering the evolution of urban transit movement structure using smart card data: The case of London.Cities

May 2021

Williams, J. (2021). Circular Cities: What are the Benefits of Circular Development. Sustainability

April 2021

Andres, L., Bryson, J. & Moawad, P. (2021). T emporary urbanisms as policy alternatives to enhance health and well-being in the post-pandemic city. Journal Current Environmental Health Reports.

Williams, J. (2021). Circular Cities: A Revolution in Urban Sustainability. Routledge

March 2021

Andres, L., Bryson, J.R., Denoon-Stevens, S. P. (2021). Calling for responsible inclusive planning and healthy cities in Africa. Town Planning Review 92 (2).

February 2021

De Vos, J., Cheng, L., Kamruzzaman, M., Witlox, F. (2021). The indirect effect of the built environment on travel mode choice: A focus on recent movers. Journal of Transport Geography,91.

January 2021

Andres, L. & Kraftl, L. (2021). New directions in the theorisation of temporary urbanisms: adaptability, activation and trajectory. Progress in Human Geography

Hickman, R., Garcia, M. M, Arnd, M. & Peixoto, L. F.G. (2021). Euston station redevelopment: Regeneration or gentrification? Journal of Transport Geography, 90

Turcu, C., Crane, M., Lloyd, S., Haines, A., Ding, D., Hutchinson, E., Belesova, K., Davies, M., Osrin, D., Zimmerman, N., Capon, A., Wilkins, P. (2021). Transforming cities for sustainability: A health perspective. Environment International, 147

Williams, J. ( 2020). Towards circular urban development post-Covid. Barcelona Centre for International Affairs: Building back better: Post-pandemic city governance

December 2020

Andres, L. & Zhang, Y. (2020). Transforming Cities Through Temporary Urbanism - A Comparative Overview. Springer

Andres, L. (2020). The importance of temporary urbanism in deconstructing cities and shaping the post-pandemic city research agenda. TOPUZOVSKI, T., Horizons: selected lectures at museum of contemporary art skopje 2018-2019, Museum of Contemporary Art Skopje, pp. 83-92

Durrant, D. (2020). London, its infrastructure and the logics of growth. Critical Dialogues of Urban Governance, Development and Activism. UCL Press

Moawad, P. & Andres, L. (2020). Tackling COVID-19 in informal tented settlements (Lebanon): an assessment of preparedness and response plans and their impact on the health vulnerabilities of Syrian refugees. Journal of Migration and Health

October 2020

Clifford, B., Andres, L., Carmona, M., De Mangalhaes, C., Durrant, D., Edwards, M., Ferm, J., Freire Trigo, S., Gabrieli, T., Gallent, N., Hamiduddin, I., Karampour, K., Moore, S., Morphet, J., Natarajan, L., Rydin, Y., Sendra,. P, Short, M. & Turcu,. L (2020). Planning for the Future White Paper: Consultation response from academics based at the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL

Chen, C. -. L., & Hickman, R. (2020) Impacts of High-Speed Rail: Hubs, Linkages, and Development. Built Environment, 46 (3), 337-341

Gallent, N. & Hamiduddin, I. (2020) COVID-19, second homes and the challenge for rural amenity areas. Town Planning Review

Hickman, R., & Chen, C. -. L. (2020) Impacts of HSR in China: A Photo Essay. Built Environment, 46 (3), 398-421

Low, W. - Y., Cao, M., De Vos, J., & Hickman, R. (2020). The journey experience of visually impaired people on public transport in London. Transport Policy, 97, 137-148

July 2020

Bryson, J., Andres, L. & Davies, A. (2020). Covid-19, Virtual Church Services and a new Temporary Geography of Home. Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, 111(3), pp. 360-372

Moawad, P. & Andres, L. (2020). Decoding Syrian Refugees’ Covid-19 Vulnerability in Informal Tented Settlements: a Community/Refugee-Led Approach to Mitigate a Pandemic Outbreak, 2020. Town Planning Review

Williams, J, (2020) The role of spatial planning in transitioning to circular urban development. Urban Geography 41 (6), 915-919

June 2020

Andres, L., Bryson, J., Denoon-Stevens, S., Bakare, H., Du Toit, K.& Melgaco, L. (2020). Calling for Responsible Inclusive Planning and Healthy Cities in Africa. Town Planning Review

January 2020

Adelfio, M., Hamiduddin, I. & Miedema, E. (2020) London's King's Cross redevelopment: a compact, resource efficient and 'liveable' global city model for an era of climate emergency?. Urban Research & Practice

92, (2), 195–201.

March 2019

Raco, M., Livingston,e N. & Durrant, D. (2019) Seeing Like an Investor: Urban Development Planning, Financialisation, and Investors’ Perceptions of London as an Investment Space. European Planning Studies

To contact the Sustainable Infrastructure Research Group leader, Dr Jo Williams, please email joanna.williams@ucl.ac.uk.