Dr Gregor H. Mews | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Dr Gregor Mews, MURP (TU-Berlin), PhD EnvirDes (University of Canberra), MPIA, ISOCARP, is teaching and researching  in Urban Design and Town Planning at the University of the Sunshine Coast, was the Executive Director of Urban Synergies Group, is a Co-Founder and Director of the Australian Institute of Play, a Steering Committee Member of UN-Habitat’s World Urban Campaign, a Council Board Member of City Space Architecture and an Advisory Board Member on research into practice of the Journal of Public Space.

He has led local, national and international projects in the nexus urban design and health, been an Urban Thinker voice for UN-Habitat and strategically to advocate for vulnerable population groups with impact transcending boundaries across the Global North and South and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

Under conceptual approach of "Right to the City" he advocated for better health and well-being outcomes at the United Nations Habitat III conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development held in Quito (Ecuador) in 2016. Over the course of two decades, he has been teaching, researching at universities in Europe (University of Kassel, Technical University of Berlin), North America (Yale University), Africa (University of Makeni), and Australia (Queensland University of Technology, University of Canberra, UNSW Canberra). Greg received 16 work-related awards including the prestigious ‘Oscars of Education” QS Wharton Reimagine Education Award in the category Presence Learning & Teaching as well as the 2021 overall Education Award.

His latest research projects include a MRFF -PPHR Initiative grant in Australia and a Civil Society in Development grant in Sierra Leone. Greg has published 3 books and 39 publications internationally, including “Perspectives of sustainable urban development for cities in Central Asia”, the recent “The future of Asian and Pacific Cities: Transformative pathways towards sustainable urban development in the post covid-19 era” for UN-ESCAP, the latest upcoming book “Transforming Public Space through Play” (April 2022 by Routledge), and served as a guest-editor of “Special issues Journal - Public health and wellbeing in public open spaces through climate responsive urban planning and design” in the Journal of Public Space. Between 2008 and 2013 he was the Vice- President and advocacy coordinator of the Planning Institute of Australia (ACT Division), held an Adjunct Prof. Associate position at the Health Research Institute at the University of Canberra, and is an active member of ISOCARP (International Society of Urban and Regional Planners) Community of Practice Urban Health. In his pursued adding quality to urban environments, he served on juries and boards in Denmark, Germany, Sierra Leone and Australia, including the ACT Government, National Capital Authority, Logan Together, Dreamtown, Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk- Buendnis Recht auf Spiel, advising government, non-government and industry on urban design and public space projects.