Dr Elisa Palazzo
Senior Lecturer
Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
School of Built Environment
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 the field of landscape architecture, urban design and environmental planning.
Her research work focuses on regenerative, adaptive and transdisciplinary strategies to address environmental change, specifically exploring the role of water sensitive urbanism and sponge cities to increase flood resilience in urban and rural systems.
In Australia she was involved with the Mt Lofty Ranges cultural landscape heritage bid in South Australia and currently with the cultural landscape mapping of the Hunter Valley in NSW aimed at national heritage listing.
She is the co-convenor of the Australia ICOMOS National Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Routes and co-author of the recently endorsed Burra Charter Practice Note on Cultural Landscapes.
Dr Palazzo is a registered landscape architect, 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 on the contemporary scene such as Turenscape, L&A and THUPDI in China. In her professional practice she has developed several regeneration projects of highly valued 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 viticultural landscape.
Her career highlights include:
- CI in competitive Cat3 grant, funded by MYER foundation, AU$0.94 million, 2018-2020
- Lead CI in Cat2 and Cat3 grants, AU$196.000, 2015-2024
- Scientific coordinator, BACMP UNDP/UNESCO competitive grant. US$0.5 million, 2006-2010
- Co-Chair of Australia ICOMOS National Scientific Committee and Expert member of ICOMOS/IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes.
- Editor of Scientific Reports, Nature, world’s 5th most cited journal
- Regular contributor to the national debate on landscape resilience in the frame of numerous invitations as a keynote speaker in AICOMOS forums and promoted by international organizations. Author for a range of events, public talks and radio/TV interviews
- Awarded with National Banksia Sustainability Award 2020 and International Place Leadership Award 2019 (with Place Agency)
- As Principal Architect and/or Design Director she is the author of 38 urban design, landscape architecture and architecture projects and plans that have been built or implemented
- Her authored projects and plans received 29 awards including 11 first prizes, 3 second prizes, and 2 third prizes
- Awarded with the "Peter Joseph Lenné Preis", by Land Berlin, the most prestigious recognition in landscape architecture in Europe, 1999
- Since 1999, in recognition of the impact of her work, her authored projects and plans were displayed in 39 landscape and urban design exhibitions in Italy, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain and Serbia
E-mail
- Publications
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- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
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
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
Member of:
- Chair AICOMOS National Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Routes
- ICOMOS/IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes - Expert member
Fellowships:
- Fellow Higher Education Academy (FHEA), UK
Member of the Editorial boards of:
- Scientific Reports and Education
- Urban Society (EUS)
Registered member of:
- AILA - Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
- Ordine degli Architetti di Firenze (EU)
Certifications:
-
Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia, Remote Pilot License (RePL) and Aeronautical Radio Operator certificate
My Research Supervision
- Adaptive and regenerative urban design
- Urban/rural water resilience and flood adaptation
- Post-coal mining brownfield regeneration
My Teaching
Urban landscape design theory and application
Constructed ecologies design and technology
Water sensitive cities and flood