91ÅÝܽ

SWAN-Climate builds on the existing SWAN project by adding a climate resilience lens. This study explores how older adults and people with disabilities in climate-vulnerable neighbourhoods experience and adapt to extreme heat through their mobility, coping strategies, and interactions with the built environment. Specifically, it seeks to understand how neighbourhood design and microclimate conditions shape thermal comfort and mobility, while also examining the strategies people use to adjust their routines and maintain participation in community life. Ultimately, the findings will inform policy and design strategies for equitable, climate-resilient, and age-friendly neighbourhoods. The project takes place across Metro Vancouver, UK cities (Manchester and Exeter), and Frankfurt, Germany.

Lead/ Project Director 
Dr. Atiya Mahmood, 91ÅÝܽ

Dr. Mahmood is a Professor in the Gerontology Department at SFU with a research focus on older adults, persons with disability, mobility, social inclusion/exclusion and participation, physical environment and health. Her expertise includes qualitative, mixed-method and community-based participatory research.

Her recent research in MAP can be summarized as: a) development of comprehensive and validated user-led tools in environmental assessments for older adults and people with disabilities; b) development of evidence-based Knowledge Translation tools in mobility and participation for diverse group of people using a community-based participatory process.

Co- Lead
, University of British Columbia

Dr. Park is the faculty lead of the , which aims to transform urban nature planning and design through innovative and impactful research. His work focuses on understanding how to design healthy, just, and resilient cities through urban nature.

He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in urban planning and design from the University of Utah. Before joining UBC, Dr. Park served as an assistant professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University.

Co- Investigator (UK)
, The University of Manchester

Dr. Razieh Zandieh is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Manchester, UK. Her research focuses on healthy urban design, social and spatial inequalities, and age-friendly cities. She has conducted studies on physical activity and is currently involved in projects addressing mental well-being, obesity, and accessible housing. She is also interested in expanding her work to better incorporate the experiences and needs of disabled people in urban environments.

Dr. Zandieh has contributed to both national and local initiatives, including the development of England’s Green Infrastructure Standards (funded by DEFRA), and a CAPE-funded collaboration with Manchester City Council on integrating health considerations into local design guides. She also participated in a joint research project between the University of Manchester and the University of Toronto examining spatial inequality and obesogenic environments.

Her research employs a combination of qualitative methods (e.g., in-depth and walking interviews), quantitative techniques (e.g., surveys, GIS, statistical analysis), and mixed-method approaches.

Co- Investigator (UK)
, University of Exeter

Dr. Lay is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Exeter. Her research intersects health, social, cultural, and lifespan developmental psychology. She is broadly interested in how we navigate and make sense of our social and solitary lives, and how culture and development affect these processes. Dr. Lay takes a methods-focused approach to research that centers participants’ lived experiences alongside ecological momentary assessments (EMA) and passive sensing using wearable devices (e.g. location tracking, stress biomarkers). She is passionate about modeling complex behavioural data and about teaching research methods and statistics.

Co- Investigator (Germany)
, Goethe University Frankfurt

Prof. Dr. Frank Oswald is Professor of Interdisciplinary Aging Studies (IAW) in the Department of Educational Sciences and Spokesperson of the Frankfurt Forum for Interdisciplinary Aging Research (FFIA) at Goethe University, as well as Director of the Center AGING at the Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE). He holds a degree in psychology and is the author or co-author of numerous articles and book chapters in the fields of gerontology and psychology. He has conducted studies on housing and mobility outside the home in old age in Germany and Europe.

Project Coordinator
, PhD Student, 91ÅÝܽ

Letitia holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from Beijing Forestry University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Gerontology at 91ÅÝܽ. Her research interests lie at the intersection of art-based methods, community-engaged research, and technology, with a focus on older adults with disabilities.