Designing for a Changing Climate

Baojie He is a (Full) Professor of Urban Climate and Sustainable Built Environment with the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Chongqing University, China. He is currently leading the Centre for Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Cities with the focus on Heat-Resilient and Low-Carbon Urban Planning and Design. Baojie has published more than 250 peer-reviewed publications. Baojie has a SCOPUS H-index of 62 (Scopus). Baojie has been involved in several large research projects on urban climate and built environment in China and Australia. Baojie is the Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, Topic Editor-in-Chief of many reputable international journals. Baojie is the Most Cited Chinese Researcher (Elsevier), Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate), the Sustainability Young Investigator, the Green Talents Alumini (Germany) and so on. Baojie was ranked as one of the Top 2% Scientists by the Mendeley from 2020 onwards.

Ali Cheshmehzangi is an internationally recognized scholar in sustainable urbanism and urban resilience. He is Professor and Head of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at The University of Queensland, Australia. His research critically examines the intersection of urban planning, environmental change, and societal well-being under conditions of climate uncertainty and rapid urban transformation. He has authored and edited over 58 academic books and has published more than 650 papers, articles, book chapters, and reports, mostly in urban sustainability and resilient city research. His current research focuses on climate-resilient cities, urban health-sustainability integration, and AI-enabled urban systems. His work integrates theory, policy, and practice to advance regenerative, inclusive, and climate-positive urban transitions across global contexts.

Leila Mohaghegh Zahed is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Sharif Energy, Water and Environment Institute (SEWEI), Sharif University of Technology, and a Guest Postdoctoral Researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria. Her research focuses on energy system optimization, climate resilience, and the energy-water-climate nexus. She develops integrated system-based and optimization models to support strategic planning for low-carbon, water-efficient, and climate-resilient energy transitions, particularly in resource-constrained environments. Her doctoral research developed a novel conceptual framework for integrated urban energy resilience, combining mitigation and adaptation strategies under climate uncertainty. She has contributed to national and international research initiatives and actively organizes academic workshops and conferences on energy systems and urban resilience. Her work bridges theory, policy, and practice through advanced systems analysis, digitalization, and decision-support modeling for resilient energy futures.

Misha Mittal is an urban strategist and sustainability advisor who has worked across the UAE, India, the UK, Africa and other emerging markets. Her work operates at the intersection of city strategy, climate resilience, and investment-oriented urban development, with a focus on translating complex urban challenges into scalable, value-driven solutions. In her role at Expo City Dubai, she has led engagements with political leaders, international governments, multilateral institutions, and private sector partners to shape future-ready urban systems and unlock new market opportunities. She is the founder of Hikmah Group, an independent advisory firm focused on unlocking new models of value creation for cities through collaboration, strategy, and systems thinking.