Keywords
Biography
I am a sessional academic in the School of the Built Environment, UNSW and University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. My research and practice focus on healthy built environments and climate change impacts - particularly built environment design responses to adapting to heat. My work focuses on heat-vulnerability, behaviour and comfort in public spaces, aging populations, and disadvantaged urban areas. Community...view more
I am a sessional academic in the School of the Built Environment, UNSW and University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. My research and practice focus on healthy built environments and climate change impacts - particularly built environment design responses to adapting to heat. My work focuses on heat-vulnerability, behaviour and comfort in public spaces, aging populations, and disadvantaged urban areas. Community development and community-cultural based processes are central to my study and practice.
My PhD research examines the influence of hot weather and heatwaves on everyday outdoor behaviour and comfort, and designing health-supportive environments in warming cities. My case study is a disadvantaged area in Western Sydney, Australia.
My expertise is interdisciplinary, bridging health and built environment sectors. Initially a registered nurse, I then took up a local government role as senior landscape architect for capital works, openspace planning and community development programs. Ensuing positions include Health, Arts and Research Centre (HARC) advisor on healthy built environments and arts & culture programs for health precincts; UNSW research assistant for the ‘Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct Living Infrastructure Strategy’; and Landscape Foundation of Australia (LFA) project assistant on the ‘Keep Uralla Summers Cool’ project.
I am a member of the 'NSW Parks and Leisure Association' Professional Development Committee and former member of the 'APRU Vulnerable Communities and Climate Justice' Working Group and 'UNSW-Yuwaya Ngarra-Li Partnership' with the Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG) in Walgett, western NSW.
My Qualifications
2017 PhD, Faculty of Built Environment, UNSW, Sydney
2003 Master of the Built Environment (Sustainable Development), UNSW, Sydney
1993 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Hons), UNSW, Sydney
My Awards
AILA 2023 Landscape Architecture National Award - Category: Research, Policy and Communications. Project: Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct Living Infrastructure Strategy
AILA 2023 Landscape Architecture NSW Award - Category: Research, Policy and Communications. Project: Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct Living Architecture Strategy
My Research Activities
Research and projects
- Bishop, K., Osmond, P., Corkery, L., McKenzie, L. and Robinson, C. 2023, 'Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct Living Infrastructure Strategy', UNSW and Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct, Jan 2023
- ZNet, Uralla Shire and Landscape Foundation of Australia, 2023, ‘Improving Health & Liveability for a Resilient Uralla’, funded by NAB Foundation Community Grant Program
- McKenzie, L., Rahmat, H., Corkery, L., Marshall N., Bishop, K., Thompson, S., Steinmetz, C, Park, M. and Tiez, C. 2020, 'Heat Study for ChillOUT Hubs: Implications for Design and Use' in the ChillOUT Smart Social Spaces - Creating Connected Greenspaces report, funded by the Smart Cities and Suburbs Grant program (Round 2), Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (unpublished report for heat study)
Publications
- McKenzie L., Osmond P. and Mechelli, A. 2022, Air quality, heat and health: the role of green infrastructure planning and design in K. Bishop and L. Corkery (ed.), ‘The Routledge Handbook of Urban Landscape Research’, Routledge, NY
- Cheng, C., Pincetl, S. and McKenzie L. 2022, 'Understanding Vulnerability in Cities: Perspectives from APRU Vulnerable Communities Working Group Participants', in Yang Y. and Taufen A. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook for Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Pacific Rim, Routledge, London. Chapter 5
- McKenzie, L. 2022, 'Remaking Public Space for Cooler, Greener Outcomes - a Case Study from Western Sydney', in Yang, Y. and Taufen A. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook for Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Pacific Rim, Routledge, London, Chapter 44
- McKenzie, L. and Thompson, S. 2019, ‘Resilience in a Warming Climate: Public Place‐making for Health and Well‐being in Hot Cities’, in Bishop K. and Marshall N. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of People and Place in the 21st Century City, ed. Routledge Handbook series, Routledge, New York. pp.282-293 – Chapter 25
- McKenzie, L. 2015, ‘Hotter Cities - Climate change and Planning for Resilient, Healthy Urban Environments’, in Barton, H., Thompson, S., Burgess, S. and Grant, M. (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Planning for Health and Well-Being, ed. 2015. Routledge, UK. pp. 254-270 – Chapter 18
Location
Publications
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3263-2075