Events Calendar

The upcoming seminar is a research topic, presented by Dr. Andreas Wesener – Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture (Lincoln University)

Abstract

The integration of active urban transport, including cycling, is an important aspect of sustainable urban design. This presentation reflects on research that derived from a funded National Science Challenge 11 (NSC 11) “Building better homes, towns and cities” project. Our research team developed a user-centred methodology for collecting, categorising, visualising, and interpreting data on urban cycling infrastructure and related cycling events using smart phones to measure accelerometer, gyroscope, speed, and global positioning (GPS), and 360-degree cameras to record audio and visual data. We collected data on eight Major Cycle Routes (MCR) in Christchurch, and used data from one of the routes to test the methodology, explore applications, and examine future research opportunities to support the planning, design, and implementation of urban cycleways. Dr Andreas Wesener, Senior Lecturer in Urban Design at the School of Landscape Architecture (SOLA) at Lincoln University, was the lead researcher of the project. Recently, he has teamed up with SOLA applied computer scientists for a new research project with the goal to automate previously manual analysis processes and enhance the applicability of the new methodology.

Bio

My research focusses on urban design and the interplay between social, political and economic processes, human experiences and the physical built environment. I investigate processes, structures and meanings that characterise urban environments undergoing significant change. By analysing the manifold issues connected to transformative urban landscapes, I explore innovative approaches for more sustainable and resilient cities. This includes experiential studies related to authenticity of place and urban atmospheres, post-disaster temporary urbanism, bottom-up governance and community resilience, integrated (green-grey) urban infrastructure systems, and urban community gardens. I established international research relations by securing participation in the EU-funded interdisciplinary networking programme COST Action TU1201 “Urban Allotment Gardens in European Cities”, and co-authored some of the first international peer-reviewed research publications on community garden case studies from New Zealand. As a funded researcher for National Science Challenge (NSC) 11 (“Building better homes, towns and cities”), I led a study on user-centred approaches to capturing data on urban cycling infrastructure in Christchurch.