Shanaka Herath

Dr. Shanaka Herath is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney's School of Built Environment, where he has been employed since January 2019, initially as a Lecturer and promoted to Senior Lecturer in January 2022. He previously served as Acting Course Director for the Master of Real Estate Investment and Master of Property Development & Investment programs from July to December 2021. His academic journey includes a Vice-Chancellor's Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Wollongong (2016-2018) and research positions at UNSW Sydney and Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Herath holds a PhD in Urban and Real Estate Economics from Vienna University of Economics and Business, complemented by a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching and Learning from UTS, an MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BA (Honours) in Economics from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

His research expertise spans housing economics, urban economics, and urban policy, with particular focus on housing affordability, urban disadvantage, and willingness to pay for urban amenities. As a quantitative researcher, he is recognized for his innovative use of spatial analysis, datasets, mapping, and economic models to address social issues in the built environment. His work has been applied in projects for Landcom NSW, NSW Family and Community Services, Housing NSW, and the NHMRC Centre of Excellence in Health and Housing.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on urban spatial dynamics, housing market modeling, and the intersection of urban planning with social equity concerns. His research increasingly incorporates climate resilience considerations, particularly examining how urban heat interacts with housing affordability and social disadvantage. His methodological approach combines sophisticated spatial econometrics with practical policy applications, often focusing on the Sydney metropolitan area while maintaining international relevance.

• Peter Harrison Memorial Prize (State of Australian Cities Conference, 2017)
• Vice-Chancellor's Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (University of Wollongong, 2015)

As an HDR supervisor (Category 1), Herath currently supervises one PhD project focused on pocket parks in Sydney and has successfully supervised another PhD to completion. His funded research portfolio demonstrates strong industry engagement, with projects including 'Urban house prices and housing affordability,' 'Willingness to pay for urban amenities,' 'Urban disadvantage,' and 'Urban/regional economic development.' He has secured multiple research contracts with government bodies including Landcom, NSW Department of Education, and NSW Department of Family and Community Services.

Herath's collaborative work extends to international partnerships, particularly in European cities for comparative urban amenity analysis. His current NHMRC collaboration on housing overcrowding in Australian cities contributes to global UN-led research on the impact of overcrowding in the context of COVID-19.