Dorina Pojani

• PhD
• Associate Professor at The University of Queensland

Offering a fresh perspective, this timely book analyzes the socio-cultural and physical production of planned capital cities through the theoretical lens of feminism. Dorina Pojani evaluates the historical, spatial and symbolic manifestations of new capital cities, as well as the everyday experiences of those living there, to shed light on planning...

By now, planners everywhere know - more or less - what the ingredients of a sustainable city are, in theory. The problem is that only bits of solutions are being implemented in the cities that most need them, the majority of which are located in the Global South. This book examines issues related to policy transfer in urban transport planning in...

This edited volume discuses urban transport issues, policies, and initiatives in twelve of the world’s major emerging economies – Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and Vietnam - countries with large populations that have recently experienced large changes in urban structure, motorization...

Objectives: Understanding the risks associated with electric motorcycles (EMs) is essential for developing effective mobility and safety strategies in an era of increasing motorcycle use and the shift towards electric vehicles. In this research, we investigate the prevalence of crashes among EM and conventional motorcycle (CM) users, as well as fac...

Housing costs are a well-established constraint to internal migration. Rising costs typically reduce inflows while increasing outflows, particularly in large cities. Given the current housing affordability crisis in many countries, we extend evidence on the links between housing market dynamics and internal migration in three principal ways. First,...

This article offers a feminist perspective on urban modernization and Europeanization in the Balkans from the late 19th century to the present. It examines how these intertwined processes have shaped urban landscapes through a continuous negotiation between local traditions and outside influences. Despite their contributions , local women have ofte...

Decarbonizing private transport is crucial in the highly polluted cities of low- and middle-income countries, such as Vietnam. In motorcycle-dominated megacities, this means gradually converting the conventional motorcycle fleet into e-motos. In this study set in Hanoi, we examined the factors that explain existing e-moto riders' attachment to this...

Objectives Habituating youth to using green transport modes critical; however, so far, little is known about the enablers and deterrents to the use of e-bikes among adolescents in developing countries. This study, set in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, seeks to answer two research questions: (1) how much do teenagers use e-bikes and why, and (2) how muc...

This article investigates the reasons why people use motorcycles in two Vietnamese megacities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The research targets university students. The various factors that lead students to use motorcycles, as well as the linkages between those factors, are assessed through a statistical technique known as Partial Least Squa...

Informal construction has been rife in Albanian cities since the fall of communism in 1990. This study investigates the fluctuations in the housing legalization process in conjunction with national and local elections in Albania from 2008 to 2021. Government revenues from legalization fees are used as a proxy for the pace of the legalization proces...

The rise of remote work has impacted residential and employment location decisions significantly, as physical proximity is no longer necessary for many job functions. This study examines recent trends in employment and population distribution in the United States, focusing on the impact of work-from-home (WFH) in the post-COVID-19-pandemic era. Our...

This systematic literature review investigates whether and how working-from-home (WFH) affects travel behavior in the working population, and then assesses whether the changes, if any, generate environmental, social, or economic benefits. We rely on a final sample of forty-eight peer-reviewed articles, selected following the Preferred Reporting Ite...

The shift from motorcycles to cars is rapidly accelerating in Vietnam-traditionally, a motorcycle-oriented country. Given high levels of pollution, a switch to e-cars as opposed to conventional cars is seen as a lesser evil. This study examines the intention to switch to e-cars among riders of conventional and electric motorcycles. The empirical da...

Over the past century, the dramatic increase in private vehicles has resulted in a growing demand for parking spaces. Governments have sought to develop and adopt various parking policies to manage and regulate parking, but the results are mixed. Current research studies on parking policies often focus on a single aspect of parking. A comprehensive...

In built-up areas, creating segregated bicycle lanes involves trade-offs with other modes, such as repurposing existing kerbside parking. Can parking be eliminated without financially impacting local businesses? This study answers this question empirically, employing as a case study Boundary Street-the high street of a gentrifying inner-city suburb...

In the first half of 2022, the global energy crisis led to a series of fuel price hikes in Vietnam. Consequently, the volume of cycling commuters grew as people switched from motorcycles to bicycles. Starting in early July, as fuel prices began to drop again, the cycling wave began to abate. This context presents a unique opportunity to qualitative...

The Covid-19 pandemic drew considerable attention to urban transport issues. Many people turned to active transport as a means of achieving social distancing and avoiding infection on buses and trains, which led to an increase in cycling. This article recounts a qualitative study conducted in Brisbane, Australia, which explores the motivations behi...

Inside Higher Education, career advice section

Link to open access article: https://theconversation.com/think-curbing-overseas-migration-will-end-the-housing-crisis-it-wont-and-we-cant-afford-to-do-it-211120

In this novel study, a gender audit was conducted to assess how the Seoul (Metro) and Jakarta (MRT) subway systems respond to women's needs. The audit revealed that both Seoul Metro and MRT Jakarta have made significant efforts to accommodate the needs of all passengers, including women. This is commendable because a public transit system that work...

In Albania, just before elections, traffic and parking fines decrease in number and magnitude, as the government turns a blind eye to infractions in order to curry favour with voters and thus retain power. Once the elections are over, a period of stricter enforcement of traffic and parking rules typically ensues, and revenues from fines surge. We t...

Greening the transport fleet is a central issue in Asian cities. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, recently introduced modern and comfortable electric buses along 10 routes (out of more than 110 routes). Using the Technology Acceptance Model as a departing point, this study investigates young people’s intention to use this new technology. We employ pr...

Introduction: There is reason to believe that a long school commute negatively affects the wellbeing of teenagers, but the empirical evidence is limited. The focus of past research has usually been on the commute mode or type rather than the commute length. Virtually all existing studies are based on surveys of a single domain of wellbeing; most ha...

Objectives: Illegal motorcycle riding among teenagers often results in crashes and disastrous consequences; however, it is rampant in many low and middle-income countries. This article seeks to elucidate the factors that lead to this behaviour, and why parents permit it. Methods: The study relies on a survey of 832 parents of adolescents (16 to 18...

Notoriously precarious, hazardous, and stressful, delivery jobs became even more onerous and dangerous during the pandemic. In this study, set in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, we applied Structural Equation Modelling to a large sample of primary data to measure delivery riders' intention to quit their jobs at the height of the pandemic. We found that...

This study investigates gender gaps in access to land ownership and land inheritance in Albanian rural areas by combining a large-scale survey and five in-depth focus groups discussions. The article considers three sets of variables: place-based characteristics; family characteristics; and individual characteristics. Results find that rural societi...

Disasters can be good for incumbent governments. Amidst an emergency, budgets can be revised and reallocated in a hurry, framing the government as a ‘saviour,’ issuing contracts to the government’s business clientele and/or prioritising the electoral base more than the victims. Thus elected officials can curry favour with voters and increase their...

In Australia, a rapid adoption of personal vehicles from the mid-twentieth century onwards has been, at least in part, related to increasingly targeted and pervasive advertising. The result is a consolidation of automobility through exposure, as audiences consume persuasive messaging at conscious and unconscious levels. The argument in this study i...

Is the compact city more likely to materialize if development is guided by the “invisible hand” of the market or the government’s “iron fist”? This article explores this question in the context of Shiraz, a medium-sized, medium-density city in south-central Iran. Through a series of longitudinal analyses, we examine the roles of the market and plan...

Bicycles are a desirable but underutilised form of travel in many cities. A main barrier to a large uptake of cycling for travel is traffic safety. To assess how much traffic stress cyclists can endure and how this stress affects route choices, we have developed an index called Average Traffic Stress (ATS). This index aggregates several measurable...

Weather, climate, and daily human mobility patterns are inextricably linked, and so quantifying and examining these patterns is essential for smarter urban policy and design that are tailored to support our daily mobility needs and foreground urban sustainability. This study provides an empirical approach to better understanding the interface betwe...

In public art, the paradigm is shifting from 'look but don't touch' toward interactive displays and creations that involve visitors. Accordingly, this study examined some of the factors that lead audiences to interact and engage with public art. Systematic observations of the "users" of 11 public art sculptures were conducted in Brisbane, Australia...

This pilot study, set in Brisbane, Australia, provides answers to the following research questions: (1) Is there inter- or intra-suburb inequality in street tree provision, in particular along routes that lead to public transport stops? (2) Are further investments in street trees justifiable on heatwave harm reduction alone? The pilot targets three...

In the current era of climate breakdown, access to green space is not optional – it is vital. This study investigates the current disparities in urban green space access in five medium-sized European cities: Birmingham, Brussels, Milan, Prague and Stockholm. Through a GIS-based network analysis, we explore whether disparities in urban green space a...

Objectives Delivery riders have been front-line workers throughout the pandemic but little is known about their own health and safety during this time. This study explores the health and safety issues facing delivery riders in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular during the second lockdown (May–October 2021). Meth...

This study centres on alternative public space in Indonesian cities in the post-Reformation era. Through in-depth interviews with experts and personal observations of a variety of public spaces in Bandung and Surabaya, we explore: (a) the concept of ‘alternative public space’ in the context of Indonesian cities, (b) the actors that have driven the...

This study examines how the Reformation has affected public space in Indonesian cities. The article draws on expert interviews and systematic field observations in Surabaya and Bandung, Indonesia's most important cities after Jakarta. The findings reveal that, with democracy and decentralisation, the public sector is more keenly aware of the socio-...

Read the article online in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/how-not-to-build-a-capital-what-indonesia-can-learn-from-other-master-planned-cities-mistakes-175318?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=bylinelinkedinbutton

University students are regarded as a readily available market segment for public transport. In Hanoi, as elsewhere, they constitute a large portion of bus passengers. However, one portion has been quitting buses, and the reasons were so far unknown. Nor was it clear whether they planned on retuning. Through a survey of more than 800 students in se...

Objectives This study examined recreational cycling in Hanoi, Vietnam, with a particular focus on changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The research questions were: (1) Has recreational cycling increased during the Covid-19 pandemic?; (2) If so, what factors have led to the increase?; and (3) What are some of the typical traits and behavi...

The blog stress the need to enhance the sustainability of paratransit, its integration with public transport and its harmonization with the overall public transport system in Asian cities.

Through a dozen in-depth interviews of urban planning professionals in Brisbane, Australia, this study examines the relationship between the experience of women in the planning profession and the consideration of women’s issues in the city. The study reveals that Brisbane’s planning industry continues to be perceived by those who work within it as...

The ways in which human mobilities are viewed have undergone profound changes. Many government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic were designed to discourage and even stop people from travelling. This led to unprecedented falls in passenger levels, particularly for aviation, long distance rail travel, and public transport, while more people...

Objectives In contrast to other cities worldwide, the pandemic has not decimated bus ridership in Hanoi. Notably, the Vietnamese capital has mostly relied on the use of face masks and hand sanitizer during travel, instead of requiring physical distancing on buses. This study examines public bus passengers’ levels of compliance with Covid-19 safety...

What makes some people eschew bikesharing? What distinguishes users from non-users? The present study examines the transport priorities and socio-demographic characteristics of both users and non-users of bikesharing in the context of Adelaide, an Australian metropolis of 1.3 million people. We apply statistical techniques, including Principal Comp...

Incumbent governments commonly increase public expenditures prior to elections in order to curry favor with voters and boost their chances of retaining office. This study, set in Albania, focuses on a non-fiscal approach to winning votes: condoning, or at least tolerating, informal construction activities in the residential sector prior to election...

Hopping on your bike when it's raining, or snowing, might seem unappealing. But our research has found inclement weather conditions deter some cyclists more than others.

This is among the first studies to provide empirical evidence on active school travel rates and determinants before and after the first Covid-19 lockdown in spring 2020. We have collected and analyzed primary survey data on the school travel patterns of 472 school-age children in Hanoi, Vietnam. The findings show that the Covid-19 pandemic has been...

This study examines the effect of weather on bikeshare use. We employ data from forty Public Bicycle Sharing Programs located in forty cities (16 countries) across five different climate zones, spanning tropical to boreal climates. Our curated dataset is longitudinal and consists of nearly 100 million cycling trips. Key findings include: (a) the mo...

This article recounts a study of media predictions on the future of cities, post-pandemic. From a theoretical perspective, we consider discourse and storytelling (written, oral, or visual) as crucial public policy and planning tools. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of more than 110 media articles from more than 60 sources, which appear...

Academics have decried the erosion of public space under the neoliberal practices that have taken root since the 1980s in cities around the world. However, it is unclear whether users are concerned about the ownership of the urban spaces they use. To find out, this study surveyed users and observed their behaviour in three types of public spaces in...

We explore the participation levels of NIMBY (‘Not In My Backyard’) proponents versus other voices at public hearings San Francisco, a city with an exceptionally dire housing crisis. Once very diverse, radical, and bohemian, San Francisco has become the most expensive city in the US, which caters to a wealthy minority—heavily connected to the tech...

The widening income gap in post-reform China has given rise to social inequality. Among those, transport poverty and inequality have significantly affected the daily life of low-income groups. While important, this is an under-researched topic in China. This gap in the academic literature is glaring given the country’s urbanization rates, sprawling...

This exploratory study examines the motivations of people who live “car-free” by choice in Brisbane, Australia. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is employed as a guiding framework for the analysis. Unlike the “car-less”, the “car-free” are physically and intellectually able to drive, and have sufficient income to purchase and maintain a car, yet the...

Ridesharing and the tech companies that enable it have become household names but as research has focused on users rather than non-users, much less is known about the latter. However, understanding the characteristics, behaviours, and motivations of nonusers is quite important too, if the planning goal is to shift urban populations from private car...

This article reviews the available literature on children's active school travel (walking and cycling) around the world. Rates of active travel to school vary substantially by setting but, cycling is much less popular than walking nearly everywhere. Active school travel is more consistently associated with (1) socio-economic and demographic variabl...

This chapter analyzes the urban form of informal settlements in the Western Balkans. Informal housing is now a permanent fixture of the urban landscape in this region. Given the widespread and increasing scale of informal settlements, it is important to record their spatial qualities and compare them to informal settlements elsewhere. A five-point...

Set in Brisbane–Australia’s third city—this study solicits the views of residents regarding the preservation of the iconic Queenslander houses (late nineteenth century–early twentieth century). Through in-depth interviews with twenty participants, we sought to determine whether owner-occupiers of Queenslanders value this heritage and why, whether t...

This article analyzes media representations of squatters and their settlements in five case studies in the Western Balkans: the capitals of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, and Serbia, drawing on a database of 300 newspaper articles, dating from 1990 to 2015. The analysis reveals eight themes. The press has: (1) questioned t...

This study measures where gentrification has been occurring in the past decade in Australia’s three major cities: Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Based on existing theory, an analytical framework is built to locate gentrification, which takes into account various demographic indicators and spatial markers. The findings are quite surprising, and con...

Together, globalisation and urbanisation are accelerating the densification of cities while disruptive technologies such as micro-mobility and ride-hailing are transforming urban mobility. Amidst this change, urban planning officials and practitioners typically remain constrained to the same urban footprint, left to grapple with earlier car-oriente...