Lisa Law is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in geography and urban studies.  Her research focuses on urban spaces in Southeast Asia and tropical Australia, and crosses a wide spectrum including:  liveability and place-based urban design for tropical towns and cities, the contested meanings and uses of public space, and the role of the senses in urban life.  She is founder of JCU's Tropical Urbanism and Design Lab, an interdisciplinary team of geographers, architects, sociologists and planners interested in urbanism in the tropics. Prior to commencing her appointment at James Cook University, she was employed at the Australian National University, the University of Western Sydney, the National University of Singapore and the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

Lisa is interested in receiving inquiries from prospective PhD and Masters by Research candidates who are interested in urban research in the tropical world. Scholarship funding is available through the James Cook University Postgraduate Research Scholarships. The closing deadline is 30 September.  Some potential projects include:

• Migration and liveability in regional Australia
• Cooling Cairns:  Design solutions for urban heat in Northern Australia
• Culture and placemaking in Cairns

Lisa is Coodinator of the Master of Planning and Urban Design https://www.jcu.edu.au/courses-and-study/courses/master-of-planning-and-urban-design which provides interdisciplinary training in addressing the challenges of the 21st century tropical city.  It provides links to research and work integrated learning across Cairns and Singapore.

Lisa is also the Coordinator of the Human Geography Major in the Bachelor of Arts and welcomes inquiries from students wishing to complete Honours research.  For more info please see https://www.jcu.edu.au/college-of-arts-society-and-education/bachelor-of-arts-honours-application-form.

Recent PhD graduates may wish to consider the Australian Research Council DECRA scheme to work with Lisa through the TUDLab.

Teaching

• EV1008: Human Geography (Level 1; CNS)
• EV2301: Urban Geography and Design (Level 2; CNS)
• EV3404: Field Studies in Tropical Geography (Level 3; CNS)
• EV5301: Urban Geography and Design (Level 5; CNS)
• EV5404: Field Studies in Tropical Geography (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5900: Special Topic (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5901: Special Topic 1 (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5902: Special Topic 2 (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5903: Literature Review (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5909: Minor Project and Seminar (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5912: Minor Project, Seminar and Literature Review (1 of 2) (Level 5; CNS)
• SC5913: Minor Project, Seminar and Literature Review (2 of 2) (Level 5; CNS)

Interests

Research

• Responsive urban design for the tropical built environment
• Social and urban geography in Southeast Asia
• Disaster resilience in Southeast Asia and tropical Australia

Teaching

• Field studies in tropical geography
• Studio-based learning for urban design

Experience

• 2004 to 2009 - Lecturer, University of St Andrews (Scotland)
• 2000 to 2003 - Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore (Singapore)
• 1999 to 2000 - Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian National University (Canberra)
• 1997 to 1998 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Western Sydney (Penrith)

Research Disciplines

• Human Geography (1604)
• Urban and Regional Planning (1205)
• Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience (0406)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding Knowledge (9701)
• Natural Hazards (9610)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Law L (2019) The tropical backyard: performing environmental difference. Geographical Research, 57 (3), pp. 331-343, DOI:10.1111/1745-5871.12348.
• Gibson K, Astuti R, Carnegie M, Chalernphon A, Dombroski K, Haryani A, Hill A, Kehi B, Law L, Lyne I, McGregor A, McKinnon K, McWilliam A, Miller F, Ngin C, Occeña-Gutierrez D, Palmer L, Placino P, Rampengan M, Wynn L, Wianti N and Wright S (2018) Community economies in Monsoon Asia: keywords and key reflections. Asia-Pacific Viewpoint, 59 (1), pp. 3-16, DOI:10.1111/apv.12186.
• Safarova S, Halawa E, Campbell A, Law L and van Hoof J (2018) Pathways for optimal provision of thermal comfort and sustainability of residential housing in hot and humid tropics of Australia: a critical review. Indoor and Built Environment, 27 (8), pp. 1022-1040, DOI:10.1177/1420326X17701805.
• Oppermann E, Brearly M, Law L, Smith J, Clough A and Zander K (2017) Heat, health, and humidity in Australia's monsoon tropics: a critical review of the problematization of 'heat' in a changing climate. WIREs Climate Change, 8 (4), Article: e468, DOI:10.1002/wcc.468.
• Gibson-Graham J, Hill A and Law L (2016) Re-embedding economies in ecologies: resilience building in more than human communities. Building Research and Information, 44 (7), pp. 703-716, DOI:10.1080/09613218.2016.1213059.
• Rampengan M, Law L, Gaillard J, Boedhihartono A and Sayer J (2016) Engaging communities in managing multiple hazards: reflections from small islands in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 37 (2), pp. 249-267, DOI:10.1111/sjtg.12148.
• Rampengan M, Boedhihartono A, Margules C, Sayer J, Law L, Gaillard J, Ong T and Tran T (2016) Agroforestry on an active volcanic small island in Indonesia: prospering with adversity. Geographical Research, 54 (1), pp. 19-34, DOI:10.1111/1745-5871.12148.
• Anderson A and Law L (2015) Putting Carmona's Place-shaping Continuum to use in research practice. Journal of Urban Design, 20 (5), pp. 545-562, DOI:10.1080/13574809.2015.1071656.

Book Chapters

• Gibson K, Hill A and Law L (2018) Community economies in Southeast Asia: a hidden economic geography. In: Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian Development. Routledge, Abingdon, UK, pp. 131-141
• Rampengan M, Law L, Gaillard J, Margules C, Boedhihartono A and Sayer J (2018) Mobility and livelihoods: a small island perspective. In: Disaster risk reduction in Indonesia: environmental, social, and cultural aspects. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL, USA, pp. 68-81
• Safarova S, Garnett S, Halawa E, Trombley J, Law L and van Hoof J (2018) Sustainable subdivision design and energy consumption of households in the hot and humid tropical climate of Darwin. In: Sustainable Development Research in the Asia-Pacific Region: education, cities, infrastructure and buildings. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 421-435
• Cushing D, Beazley H and Law L (2017) Urban green spaces and childhood obesity in (sub)tropical Queensland, Australia. In: Children's Health and Wellbeing in Urban Environments. Geographies of Health. Routledge, London, UK, pp. 161-173

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 49+ research outputs authored by A/Prof Lisa Law from 2001 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Sustainability Assessment of Mountain Biking and Bushwalking in the Baldy Mountain Forest Reserve and Herberton Range State Forest. A Multiple Bottom Line Assessment for the Atherton Tablelands Region (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The potential of front gardens to enhance biodiversity consciousness. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Building cultural and social capital through re-purposing community industrial infrastructure: A Case study of the Tanks Art Centre, Cairns (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Agritourism and Planning Design: Basis in Sustaining the Tourism Growth (PhD , Advisor Mentor)

Completed

• The role of factors that influence the adoption of the Australian Carbon Farming Initiative-Emissions Reduction Fund: a mixed methods study (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Urban design and tourism in the tropics (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Adapting to climate change: perspectives from rural communities in Lombok, Eastern Indonesia (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Impacts of multiple hazards on small island communities: perspectives from North Sulawesi, Indonesia (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.