Dr Mike Harris
Mike is a researcher, teacher and practitioner in landscape architecture and urban design with experience across Australia, Europe and the US covering a wide range of project types and scales including precinct planning, public domain design聽and active transport. This breadth of experience combined with a passion for urban quality of life has given Mike a strong interest in the tensions between 鈥榖ig picture鈥 city planning and the lived urban experience. Mike has been recognised with design and research awards as well as speaking invitations and advisory roles.
Mike is currently engaged in two primary areas of research:
One is mixed-use megaprojects - investigating how the aims of large-scale, 鈥榗ompetitive city鈥 projects are reconciled with the delivery of strategic infrastructure, liveability goals and equitable urban access. One of Mike鈥檚 current research projects in this area is a monograph by Palgrave Macmillan; Mixed-Use Megaprojects and the Competition for Capital, investigating projects in Sydney, Melbourne, Copenhagen and New York.
The other is active travel - investigating network planning, street design and governance with the overarching aim of delivering more social, accessible聽and healthy cities. This work builds on more than a decade of consultant work in which Mike鈥檚 international research has been tested in local and state government聽projects.聽Mike鈥檚 current research projects in this area include leading a 2-year research grant for Transport for NSW and iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre on international best practice facility design to increase cycling participation with virtual reality testing; as well as a number of publications on street design, governance and community preferences of cycling infrastructure.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2021-2023 Interactively Visualising Street聽Design Scenarios for Communicating聽Bike Infrastructure Options to聽Communities and Policymakers
Project Partners: Transport for NSW, iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre聽
UNSW CIs: Mike Harris (lead), Chris Pettit, Brian Lee, Vinayak Dixit
Grant value:聽$300,000
2019-2020 Hornsby Quarry Park Sustainable Access and Circulation Investigation
Project Partner: Hornsby Shire Council
UNSW CI: Mike Harris
Grant value: $49,800
2019 Guide to聽Low Carbon Landscapes
Project Partner: Collaborative research Centre (CRC) for Low Carbon Landscapes
UNSW CIs: Sara Padget-Kjearsgaard (lead), Mike Harris, Catherine Evans
Grant value: $10,000
2018 Kunshan West Slow Movement Strategy
Project Partner: Collaborative research Centre (CRC) for Water Sensitive Cities & Realm Studios
UNSW CI: Mike Harris
Grant value: $5,200
AWARDS & HONOURS
2021 - Cycling advisor on one of three teams shortlisted for the Sydney Harbour Bridge Northern Cycleway Ramp design competition, with Realm Studios.
2020 -聽Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Award for Research, Policy and Communication:聽CRC For Low Carbon Living:聽Guide to Low Carbon Landscapes
2014-2015 - Waverley Council Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee
2014 -聽Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) Postgraduate Scholarship
2014聽-聽Urban and Regional Planning Research Scholarship 鈥Awarded every alternate year to a commencing Doctor of Philosophy student of exceptional research promise, with a focus on city form and urban infrastructure.鈥澛
2014 - Lindsay Robertson Memorial Award聽 鈥Awarded every alternate year to encourage a UNSW graduate in Landscape Architecture to undertake postgraduate study or research in Australia or overseas.鈥
2013 - Marjory and Lloyd Rees Prize for Urban Design
2013 - Invited as keynote speaker at UK national conference 'Cycle City' in Birmingham
2012 - Invited speaker and facilitator on urban mobility at the BMW Guggenheim Lab in Berlin: "A mobile laboratory travelling around the world to inspire innovative ideas for urban design and urban life."
2009 -聽Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Future Leaders Awards
2007 -聽Hassell Travelling Scholarship 鈥Awarded by HASSELL panel of directors for best graduating Landscape Architecture design project in Australia.鈥
My Research Supervision
Ela Glogowska -聽The cultural potential of the public square. The formation, use and meaning of urban public space in a densifying Sydney.
Josh Hernandez - Enabling the implementation of urban sound planning.
Kevin Cherian -聽Mega-events and Global Cities: Planning towards Sustainable Global Cities.
My Teaching
LAND2411 Urban Landscape Design Studio
LAND2421 Urban Public Domain Studio
LAND7201 Public Realm Studio