Mr Sufian Almubarak

Research Project:

Are car-free lifestyles feasible in low-density, sprawling contexts? ---A comparison of a city in Australia and Saudi Arabia.

Research description:

The research thesis is concerned with the impact of a car-free lifestyle among residents of urban cities, especially in low and sprawling densities and on their environments in Saudi Arabia and Australia. This thesis includes case studies from both Saudi Arabia and Australia. It will identify the behavioural, environmental and social dimensions of the urban city dwellers and the changing implications of not using the car-free lifestyle. The thesis will also discuss the measures needed to maintain the current and future planning structure of urban areas in Australia and Saudi Arabia to make urban cities more sustainable.

This project contributes to identifying the effects of mobility in low-density urban cities in Al-Ahsa and Brisbane. It helps determine the relationship between a car-free system and the environment on the health of future urban cities in both cities. Further, this study will also determine potential difficulties faced by residents who want to live their lives without cars and their strategies for sustaining a car-free lifestyle. This study will also propose strategies for a car-free lifestyle, which could be adopted by other cities globally.

Researcher biography: 

Sufian obtained a bachelor's degree with good academic performance and became a teaching assistant at one of the most prestigious universities in Saudi Arabia. He was nominated to receive a full scholarship for his master's and doctorate degrees in Australia.

Research interests:

Urban mobility, environmental studies, travel behaviour, urban planning infrastructure.

Principal advisor: A/P Dorina Pojani