Hitomi NAKANISHI

Hitomi NAKANISHI is an Associate Professor in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Canberra, where she also serves as the Course Convener for the Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Bachelor of Civil Engineering Technology programs. Her research focuses on disaster recovery, transport planning, climate adaptation, and urban sustainability, with a particular emphasis on Japan and Australia. She holds a PhD from Kagawa University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Osaka Metropolitan University.

Dr. Nakanishi has held roles including Research Scientist at CSIRO (2008–2011), Research Associate at Toyohashi University of Technology, and Research Assistant at Kagawa University. She is affiliated with the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS) SIG1 and certified by the Australian Civil-Military Centre. Her work addresses UN Sustainable Development Goals related to resilient infrastructure, sustainable cities, and climate action.

Her research investigates topics such as post-disaster community resilience, transport policy for net-zero emissions, and the role of social capital in recovery. Notable projects include analyzing evacuation behavior in Japan, assessing light-rail impacts on quality of life in Canberra, and evaluating disaster recovery frameworks. Media coverage of her work has appeared in the ABC, Sydney Morning Herald, and Japan Times.

Dr. Nakanishi has led or contributed to seven research projects, including studies on climate adaptation, disaster recovery, and urban systems. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining policy analysis, spatial modeling, and community engagement to address complex urban challenges.