Dr Miza Moreau
Published: 29 April 2026
School of Geographical & Earth Sciences
Describe your research in fewer than 20 words
Exploring how women-led community efforts co-produce inclusive urban spaces through informal and grassroots transformations.
What fellowship do you hold?
I currently hold a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship and a Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith Leadership Fellowship.
What is your area of research?
I’m an interdisciplinary urbanist and a landscape architect. My work examines the functional potentials and cultural meanings of urbanised landscapes, with a particular focus on public space, informality, urban morphology, and urban ecology.
Why did you choose to pursue a fellowship in your research career?
This fellowship offered a unique opportunity to focus on a dedicated research project with a level of support that is hard to find elsewhere. It allowed me to explore the co-production of urban landscapes and women’s participation in shaping public spaces.
Why did you choose to work at the University of Glasgow?
My research is centred on Glasgow itself—looking at how women-led community groups have transformed vacant and derelict sites into valuable public spaces. The University of Glasgow was the perfect location for this project, and it provided a scholarly community that aligned well with my research interests. I moved here with my family from Australia after completing my PhD at the University of Melbourne.
What is your research highlight?
My research has revealed the power of informal practices and community-led actions in shaping public space. I’ve focused on women’s contributions, which have historically been undervalued or overlooked. It’s been rewarding to highlight their role in transforming urban environments.
What do you look for in a collaboration?
Although fellowships are generally designed to support independent work, I value collaborations that offer complementary expertise. International collaborations are especially meaningful as they bring different systemic perspectives and expand the impact of my research.
How do you see your research impacting society?
I’ve engaged with policy work, including serving on a Public Health Scotland steering committee that developed a new Place Standards toolkit. My input focused on women's safety and inclusion in public space. This has helped influence how policymakers frame and draft inclusive spatial policies.
What are your future plans?
After the fellowship, I hope to continue researching public space and community landscapes. I’m looking into new funding opportunities, developing collaborations, and exploring potential academic positions that allow me to build on this work.
How has the fellowship benefitted your career?
It has given me the time and space to explore complex, under-researched questions—particularly the role of women in urban public spaces. This kind of work is often difficult to pursue within traditional research structures, and the fellowship has made it possible.
Have you undertaken any public engagement?
Yes, my work with Public Health Scotland is one example. I’ve also given talks and contributed to public resources that raise awareness about gender, space, and urban design.
Have you secured any awards or prizes? I received a grant from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Visiting Fellowship from the University of California, Berkeley. Both supported complementary research projects related to my fellowship work.
What are you most proud of?
I’m proud of how my research has helped elevate the visibility of women’s roles in transforming urban space. It’s been fulfilling to contribute to both scholarship and public policy in a meaningful way.
First published: 29 April 2026