Dr Elisa Palazzo | UNSW Research

Dr Palazzo has a broad international experience in both academia and the profession. Currently senior lecturer at UNSW Sydney, her Ph.D. in urban design, regional and environmental planning examined the role of landscape architecture in urban design to achieve more resilient and environmentally sound cities.

She has been teaching in several universities in Italy and China (Pisa and Florence universities, Tsinghua Beijing) besides Australia, in...view more

She has been teaching in several universities in Italy and China (Pisa and Florence universities, Tsinghua Beijing) besides Australia, in the field of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and environmental planning.

Her research work focuses on regenerative, adaptive and transdisciplinary strategies to address environmental change, and the design of floodable landscapes and cities.

Dr Palazzo is a registered landscape planner, architect and urbanist with over 20 year experience in large scale award winning public projects and plans, carried out for government and international organisations. She has collaborated with the most renowned landscape design institutes in China such as Turenscape, L&A and THUPDI .

In her professional practice she has developed several regeneration projects within heritage-listed urban sites and rural landscapes across Europe, the Middle East, China and Australia. Her role of International Expert and Scientific Coordinator of the UNESCO Bethlehem Area Management Plan led to the World Heritage nomination of two sites in Palestine in 2012 and 2014, including a cultural landscape.

In Australia she was involved with the Mt Lofty Ranges cultural landscape heritage bid in South Australia and the cultural landscape mapping of the Hunter Valley in NSW.

She is the co-convenor of the Australia ICOMOS NSC CLCR (National Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Routes) and co-author of the recently endorsed Burra Charter Practice Note on Cultural Landscapes.

My Grants

On going projects:

2023 - Lead CI - Australian Viticultural Landscapes Comparative Assessment. HVWTA, NSW

Past projects:

2020 - Lead CI - Aboriginal Cultural Landscape Heritage Project. Liverpool council, NSW

2019 - Lead CI - Mapping the resilience of the Bio-cultural landscape of Hunter Valley. HVWTA, NSW

2018 - CI - Placemaking and Tactical Urbanism program. MYER foundation, national interuniversity project

2017 - Lead CI - Urban Landscape Regeneration in Northern Adelaide. Department of State Development, SA

2016 - CI - Water sensitive cities: Holistic applications of Stormwater Management. With UTM, Kuala Lumpur

2016 - Lead CI - Special Project Fund. Academic Consortium 21 (AC21). Adelaide, Tongji, Strasbourg.

2015 - CI - Evaluation of bio-cultural diversity across an agrarian landscape. DEWNR, SA

My Awards

Dr Palazzo was the recipient of:

Banksia Sustainability award 2020 - Academia and Research category, as Place Agency consortium co-founder and UNSW Team Leader.

Learning & Teaching Award 2020 - Learning Design through Technology, Faculty of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney

Place Leadership Award 2019 as Place Agency consortium co-founder and UNSW Team Leader. Place Leaders Asia and the pacific.

Executive Dean’s award for excellence in teaching 2017, Faculty of the Professions, University of Adelaide.

Her projects and plans received numerous awards. These include two EUROPAN first prizes in 1996 and 1999 for her works focusing on agricultural production and urban farming in the design of new cities. In 1999, she was the recipient of the "Peter Joseph Lenné Preis", one of the most prestigious prize in landscape architecture in Europe.

Her realised works received several recognitions for their contribution to participatory planning and innovation in urban landscape design, including among the most significant:

2014 Premio Architettura Territorio Fiorentino, category: Urban spaces and landscape, Fondazione - Professione Architetto, Firenze – 1st prize

2014 Innovation and Urban Quality Award, Architecture and City. Section new uses and design – 2nd prize

2014 RI.U.SO Award 03. Sustainable Urban Regeneration. Architects National Council, Rome Italy – honourable mention

2014 Premio Legambiente with Architects National Council, Rome Italy – honourable mention

2013 Design for all - Innovation and urban quality Award, Ferrara Italy – 1st prize

2011 The participatory design of public space - Award, Italian National Institute of Urban Planning INU - 3rd prize

2010 Tuscany Eco Efficiency Award 2010, sustainable mobility - special mention

My Research Supervision

Areas of supervision

I am qualified to supervise HDR research (PhD and MPhil) as primary supervisor. From 2015/2016 I have supervised three PhD students and one Post-Doc to successful completion.

I am available to supervise in any area pertaining to my research interests and in particular looking for new PhD candidates in the fields of:

Green Washing in Landscape Architecture in Australia and South East Asia.
Urban/rural stormwater management and design for flood adaptation
Biocultural landscape mapping and spatial representation
Agri-Cultural landscapes significance assessment
Landscape strategies for post mining sites regeneration

Currently supervising

Adaptive and regenerative urban design
Urban/rural water resilience and flood adaptation
Post-coal mining brownfield regeneration

My Engagement

Member of:

Chair AICOMOS National Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Routes
ICOMOS/IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes - Expert member

Fellowships: