Yaser Abunnasr, PhD, MLA, BArch, Fulbright Fellow
Yaser Abunnasr is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture in the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He is trained as an architect and a landscape architect and holds degrees in both fields. He received his PhD in Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Abunnasr adopts a landscape and environmental approach to urban and regional planning that mediates ecological and ecosystem concerns with community wellbeing and livelihood.
Dr. Abunnasr’s current research is on green infrastructure systems as a planning and design tool for climate change adaptation for urban and regional resilience. His work on adaptation planning investigates frameworks and procedures that account for impacts on natural and manmade systems, incorporate uncertainty in current and future conditions in the planning process and addresses vulnerability and exposure of communities to these impacts. Work on green infrastructure is conceptualized as a landscape system that operates at multi-scales, provides multiple benefits, and enhances places of living. Dr. Abunnasr is currently researching the impact of different land-uses on the availability and morphology of physical space, including hybrid systems (natural engineered systems) that provide opportunities to retrofit urban regions with green infrastructure systems. Dr. Abunnasr is in the process of applying research on adaptation and green infrastructure planning to the MENA region.
Dr. Abunnasr is also trained as an archaeologist. He projects this interest into applying community based landscape approaches to conservation of cultural and heritage heritage sites to extend their role as open space amenities.
Yaser Abunnasr is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture in the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He is trained as an architect and a landscape architect and holds degrees in both fields. He received his PhD in Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Abunnasr adopts a landscape and environmental approach to urban and regional planning that mediates ecological and ecosystem concerns with community wellbeing and livelihood.
Dr. Abunnasr’s current research is on green infrastructure systems as a planning and design tool for climate change adaptation for urban and regional resilience. His work on adaptation planning investigates frameworks and procedures that account for impacts on natural and manmade systems, incorporate uncertainty in current and future conditions in the planning process and addresses vulnerability and exposure of communities to these impacts. Work on green infrastructure is conceptualized as a landscape system that operates at multi-scales, provides multiple benefits, and enhances places of living. Dr. Abunnasr is currently researching the impact of different land-uses on the availability and morphology of physical space, including hybrid systems (natural engineered systems) that provide opportunities to retrofit urban regions with green infrastructure systems. Dr. Abunnasr is in the process of applying research on adaptation and green infrastructure planning to the MENA region.
Dr. Abunnasr is also trained as an archaeologist. He projects this interest into applying community based landscape approaches to conservation of cultural and heritage heritage sites to extend their role as open space amenities.