Debra Cushing

Debra Cushing is an Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture at QUT's School of Architecture & Built Environment, part of the Faculty of Engineering. Her research focuses on health-promoting environments, intergenerational community design, and green infrastructure. She leads the Human Building Interaction (HBI) Research Group and has authored/co-authored influential books like Creating Great Places and Redesigning the Unremarkable.

Education: PhD in Design and Planning (University of Colorado Denver), MS in Landscape Architecture (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

Research Interests: Intergenerational park design, youth participation in urban planning, salutogenic environments, and resilient communities. Her work aligns with UN SDGs for sustainable cities and climate action.

Key Projects: Led the ARC Linkage Project Intergenerational Park Design for Active and Engaged Communities, producing a design guide for parks. Current research includes bus stop redesign for climate resilience and gendered play spaces in Jakarta.

Teaching: Coordinates units in landscape architecture and urban design, emphasizing active learning through fieldwork and service-learning. Developed the People and Place Studio and led international study tours in Bali and NYC.

Awards/Grants: Recipient of ARC Linkage Project funding. Recognized for integrating community engagement into education and research.

Supervision: Mentors PhD candidates on topics like gender-friendly public spaces and green infrastructure resilience. Completed supervision of studies on aged care landscapes and heritage river corridors.

Labs/Teams: Co-Lead of QUT Design Lab's Resilient Communities Theme and member of the Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth.