Designing Healthy Cities

Ali Cheshmehzangi is Professor and Head of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning (ADP) at The University of Queensland, where he leads the School and researches across the fields of architecture, design, and planning/urbanism. He has been in the World’s top 2 per cent field leader since 2022, recognised by Stanford University. He is among the top 30 global scholars in the urban sustainability research area. Ali has a wealth of experience, expertise, and a strong commitment to innovation and excellence in the fields of architecture, design, and planning, the three core disciplines of his School at UQ. 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.   

Jian Zuo is Professor in Sustainable Construction at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Adelaide. His main research interests are related to the sustainable built environment via both technical (e.g. smart technologies) and managerial (e.g. policy intervention and behavioural change) means. In particular, he has undertaken extensive research in construction and demolition waste recycling and management. As the lead researcher, he has been involved in a series of competitive grants in Australia such as Discovery Projects and Linkage Projects funded by the Australian Research Council as well as many other national key projects. He has long been engaged in the study of ecological towns, green buildings, and sustainable development of the construction industry.  

Rongpeng Zhang is Full Professor and dedicated Ph.D. Supervisor at the School of Architecture and Planning, Hunan University. His primary research pursuits encompass building performance modeling and simulation for intelligent buildings, alongside advanced built environment control for healthy buildings. He was a primary developer of several pivotal modules within the DOE-endorsed EnergyPlus building simulation engine, including VRF-HR, fault detection, and demand response modules. He was a primary developer of Commercial Building Energy Saver (CBES) platform, which obtained the 2019 R&D 100 Award as one of the 100 most significant new technologies in the world.  

Abbas Ziafati Bafarasat is Charted Town Planner and Senior Lecturer in Town Planning, School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, where he also leads the M.Sc. Program in Spatial Planning, and the Certificate in Spatial Planning Studies. Abbas undertook his Ph.D. in Planning and Landscape at the University of Manchester, and his Post Doc at Technical University of Dortmund. His research and professional experience spans strategy and its interdisciplinary applications in enhancing policy and placemaking.  

Jie Zhao is Lecturer of architecture in the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania and Head of Delos Labs and an Executive Vice President at Delos. Delos is a science-based wellness real estate company headquartered in New York City. As the creator of the WELL Building Standard, Delos develops programs and solutions that transform our environments into vehicles for health, well-being, performance, and resilience. Jie leads the global research effort for advancing science and innovation. His research focuses on Human-building Interactions, including healthy buildings, total building performance, occupant behavior in buildings, sensing and controls in buildings, health, comfort, and productivity of building occupants, as well as building energy efficiency and sustainability.