Dr Emma Ferranti BSc MSc PhD AFHEA

Emma Ferranti

Department of Civil Engineering
Associate Professor

Contact details

Address
School of Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Emma leads exciting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of infrastructure, the built environment and green infrastructure. She currently holds an EPSRC Fellowship examining how Nature Based Solutions can deliver infrastructure resilience to extreme weather and climate change. Emma also leads and contributes to a range of projects in the fields of transport, infrastructure resilience, climate adaptation, air quality, and green infrastructure at the University of Birmingham. She was previously a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow facilitating knowledge transfer at the intersection of green infrastructure and air quality.

An advocate for trees in the urban environment, Emma co-facilitates the national Trees and Design Action Group network, co-organising the online Seminar Series, and co-developing evidence-based resources for built environment practitioners.

Qualifications

  • Associate Fellow Higher Education Academy 2011
  • PhD Geography, Lancaster University 2011
  • MSc Environmental Hazards, Lancaster University 2006
  • BSc (Hons) Geography / Geology International, University of Leeds 2001

Biography

Emma undertakes exciting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of infrastructure, the built environment and green infrastructure. She currently holds an EPSRC Fellowship examining how Nature Based Solutions can deliver infrastructure resilience to extreme weather and climate change. Emma also leads and contributes to a range of projects in the fields of transport, infrastructure resilience, climate adaptation, air quality, and green infrastructure at the University of Birmingham. She was previously a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow facilitating knowledge transfer at the intersection of green infrastructure and air quality.

Emma facilitates the Trees and Design Action Group, co-organising the seminar series and contributing to their evidence based publications that translate research into practice. TDAG: https://www.tdag.org.uk/

Teaching

Emma is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She currently supervises final year and MSc engineering dissertation projects, and teaches online group tutorials.

Other activities

  • Co-facilitator of Trees & Design Action Group (TDAG) a network and charity that brings together individuals and organisations to improve knowledge and good practice to support the role of urban trees through better collaboration in the planning, design, construction and management and maintenance of our urban places.
  • Co-Lead for the Infrastructure Theme at the Resilience Hub at COP26 in Glasgow. Curated a series of global events on infrastructure resilience delivered within the Blue Zone, including Chairing session, and presenting original research.
  • Invited author for the Infrastructure Chapter (interdependencies section) of the Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk (2021) advice to government for the third Climate Change Risk Assessment.
  • Member of the Infrastructure Operators Adaptation Forum (IOAF) working with infrastructure professionals, national and regional government, and the Climate Change Committee to ensure national infrastructure is resilient to climate change.
  • Defra Forest & Woodlands Advisory Committee (North-West & West Midlands) and Urban Forest & Woodlands Advisory Committee, both roles advising Forestry Commission (since 2021).
  • Birmingham City Council Urban Forest Master Plan Advisory Group & Tree Board (since 2020).
  • Member of the NERC Advisory Network (since 2019), NERC Peer Review College (since 2020), and EPSRC Peer Review Associate College (since 2017).
  • International Conference Scientific Steering Group Committee: Trees, People and the Built Environment 4 (2021).
  • Institute for Global Innovation Clean Air: Engagement lead (since 2019).
  • Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) Interdisciplinary Leadership Fellow (since 2016)

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Brettle, D, Ferranti, E, James, S, Doick, K & Barrell, J 2024, First Steps Urban Tree Canopy Cover: A Strategic Approach for Urban Forest Planning . University of Birmingham. https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004369

Article

Crossfield, A & Ferranti, E 2024, 'A longitudinal perspective of climate adaptation: a case study from the water sector 2013-2023', Infrastructure Asset Management. https://doi.org/10.1680/jinam.23.00060

Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Jones, S, Zhong, J, Grayson, N, Needle, S, Acton, J, MacKenzie, AR & Bloss, W 2024, 'An open access approach to mapping climate risk and vulnerability for decision-making: A case study of Birmingham, United Kingdom', Climate Services, vol. 36, 100521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2024.100521

Jia, Z, Donaldson, DL & Ferranti, E 2024, 'Weather-related fragility modelling of critical infrastructure: a power and railway case study', Institution of Civil Engineers. Proceedings. Civil Engineering, vol. 177, no. 5, pp. 50-58. https://doi.org/10.1680/jcien.23.00115

Greenham, S, Workman, R, McPherson, K, Ferranti, E, Fisher, R, Mills, S, Street, R, Dora, J, Quinn, A & Roberts, C 2023, 'Are transport networks in low-income countries prepared for climate change? Barriers to preparing for climate change in Africa and South Asia', Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, vol. 28, no. 8, 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10078-1

Donaldson, DL, Ferranti, EJS, Quinn, AD, Jayaweera, D, Peasley, T & Mercer, M 2023, 'Enhancing power distribution network operational resilience to extreme wind events', Meteorological Applications, vol. 30, no. 2, e2127. https://doi.org/10.1002/met.2127

Comment/debate

Cork, NA, Fisher, RS, Strong, N, Ferranti, EJS & Quinn, AD 2024, 'Corrigendum: A systematic review of factors influencing habitat connectivity and biodiversity along road and rail routes in temperate zones', Frontiers in Environmental Science, vol. 12, 1369072. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1445609

Commissioned report

Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Cork, N, Jones, S, Zhong, J, Haskins, B, Higgins, W, Grayson, N, Needle, S, Acton, J, MacKenzie, AR & Bloss, W 2024, Mapping Climate Risk and Vulnerability in the West Midlands. A guidance document produced by the WM-Air project. University of Birmingham. https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004371

Stevens, P, Stevens, A, Ferranti, E, Sharifi, S & James, S 2023, First Steps in Urban Water. University of Birmingham. https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004284

Conference contribution

Bankole, SO, Donaldson, D, Dissanayake, D & Ferranti, E 2023, Electric Mobility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Preparedness from the Consumer Point of View. in 2023 IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica., 10363275, IEEE Power Engineering Society Conference and Exposition in Africa, PowerAfrica, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2023 IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica, PowerAfrica 2023, Marrakech, Morocco, 6/11/23. https://doi.org/10.1109/PowerAfrica57932.2023.10363275

Editorial

Dora, J & Ferranti, E 2024, 'Infrastructure Resilience under a Changing Climate: the urgent need for engineers to act', Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Civil Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1680/jcien.24.00010

Review article

Makahleh, HY, Ferranti, EJS & Dissanayake, D 2024, 'Assessing the Role of Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Areas: A Systematic Review of Literature', Future Transportation, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 321-348. https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp4020017

Cork, NA, Fisher, RS, Strong, N, Ferranti, EJS & Quinn, AD 2024, 'A systematic review of factors influencing habitat connectivity and biodiversity along road and rail routes in temperate zones', Frontiers in Environmental Science, vol. 12, 1369072. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1369072

Lu, Y, Ferranti, E, Chapman, L & Pfrang, C 2023, 'Assessing urban greenery by harvesting street view data: A review', Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, vol. 83, 127917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127917

Fisher, R, Ferranti, E, Greenham, S & Quinn, A 2023, 'Climate change resilience beyond the mainline railway: a review', Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Civil Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1680/jcien.23.00101

View all publications in research portal