Profile

Biography

Sohail Ahmad is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sustainable Cities at the Department of Environment and Geography. 

Ahmad’s works investigate low-carbon urban development options, inclusive built environments, and housing in South Asian cities. Focussing on low-carbon development, his works assess greenhouse gas emissions patterns and their determinants at household and city levels. To bridge the gap between formal and informal human settlements, he estimates the demand for housing and its attributes using household surveys and assessed socio-spatial exclusion and its determinants. Recently, his works have expanded to other Asian and African cities, particularly in social sustainability dimension, while working with the Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods (SHLC) project.  

Prior to joining York, Ahmad worked at the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow: SHLC, and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE). At the SHLC, he investigated the role of neighbourhoods in urban sustainability across 14 cities from seven Asian and African countries and played a crucial role in managing over 14,000 household surveys. While working at the CaCHE, he identified enablers and barriers to the uptake of heat pumps in the UK. Before Glasgow, he was an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin with joint affiliation to the Technische Universität Berlin, and a JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (Tokyo) with a joint affiliation with the Tokyo Institute of Technology. In these positions, he conducted research on environmental sustainability aspects in Asian cities. He briefly taught at the School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

He received a PhD in City Planning from the Seoul National University, an MEd in Academic Practice from the University of Glasgow, a Master of Planning (Urban Planning) from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and a BArch (Hons) from the Aligarh Muslim University. 

His works have extensively used econometrics using Stata and R on large datasets and more recently he has used qualitative research methods such as focus group discussions and interviews. Currently, his interest has grown towards systematic literature reviews.  He has published in peer-reviewed journals like Cities, Environmental Science & Technology, Urban Studies, and Habitat International.  

Research

Overview

Summary: I have pursued policy-relevant research focusing on addressing contemporary urban challenges, particularly in South Asian cities. I have striven towards research excellence using four-pronged strategies: a) pursuing applied research; b) employing innovative quantitative methods, often using uniquely created datasets; c) adopting an interdisciplinary collaborative approach; and d) adopting comparative approaches. These approaches result in 21 published journal articles and five book chapters. These works are funded by Asian and European organisations such as the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Scottish Funding Council. These works are divided into four themes.   

Cities and climate change mitigation: Cities play a crucial role in climate change mitigation in many ways, including their urban forms and transport choices. My works examine GHG emissions and their determinants using uniquely created datasets (e.g., emissions are calculated from the Household Consumption Expenditure) to provide evidence-based interventions for climate change mitigation. Results reveal that certain urban development interventions, for example, dense urban forms, would bring multiple benefits like improving population health and environmental health. More recently, I have investigated challenges associated with the adoption of domestic Heat Pumps in the UK, which are crucial to reducing energy consumption in warming homes in the UK. 

Housing and inequality in cities of the Indian subcontinent: A large share of urban inhabitants lives in slums and informal settlements in the subcontinent. Several research outputs investigate housing challenges using nationally representative household data to design evidence-based housing policies and programmes. I have highlighted housing inequality, where the impact of two or more forms of poverty like income and educational attainment intersect, in turn, sharpened policy interventions. 

Urbanisation processes and human well-being: Most of the urban inhabitants will be added in Asian and African cities but their urbanisation processes are often not sustainable and inclusive. A couple of my works have established relationships between urbanisation processes and human well-being, in turn, suggest potential planning approaches that could maximise the benefits of urbanisation. Sustainable urbanism, for instance, acts as a modifier for access to modern cooking fuels, that improve environmental and public health.  

Cities and neighbourhoods in Asia and Africa: Sustainable development requires understanding cities comprehensively, including systems thinking. In this context, a range of my works analyse cities encompassing several contemporary challenges such as housing, economy and governance system. Neighbourhood development and governance play a crucial role in overall outcomes. In this line, recent works focus on Asian and African cities. 

Supervision

I would be pleased to hear from highly motivated students interested in pursuing PhD programme that resonates with my research interests in sustainable urban development, particularly focusing on the challenges in cities of the global south. I am also interested in development challenges in the middle east and therefore happy to discuss with potential students focusing on these regions.

Publications

Full publications list

Articles: 

Munir, F., Ahmad, S. , Ullah, S. and Wang, Y. P. (2022) Understanding housing inequalities in urban Pakistan: an intersectionality perspective of ethnicity, income and education. Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City, 3(1), pp. 1-22. (doi: 10.1080/26884674.2021.1986442) 

Rahman, M. M., Avtar, R., Ahmad, S. , Inostroza, L., Misra, P., Kumar, P., Takeuchi, W., Surhan, A. and Saito, O. (2021) Does building development in Dhaka comply with land use zoning? An analysis using nighttime light and digital building heights. Sustainability Science, 16(4), pp. 1323-1340. (doi: 10.1007/s11625-021-00923-0) 

Ramakrishnan, A., Kalkuhl, M., Ahmad, S. and Creutzig, F. (2020) Keeping up with the Patels: Conspicuous consumption drives the adoption of cars and appliances in India. Energy Research and Social Science, 70, 101742. (doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2020.101742) 

Shih, W.-Y., Ahmad, S. , Chen, Y.-C., Lin, T.-P. and Mabon, L. (2020) Spatial relationship between land development pattern and intra-urban thermal variations in Taipei. Sustainable Cities and Society, 62, 102415. (doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102415) 

Baffoe, G. , Ahmad, S. and Bhandari, R. (2020) The road to sustainable Kigali: a contextualized analysis of the challenges. Cities, 105, 102838. (doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2020.102838) 

Bren d’Amour, C., Pandey, B., Reba, M., Ahmad, S. , Creutzig, F. and Seto, K.C. (2020) Urbanization, processed foods, and eating out in India. Global Food Security, 25, 100361. (doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100361) 

Ahmad, S. , Goodman, A., Creutzig, F., Woodcock, J. and Tainio, M. (2020) A comparison of the health and environmental impacts of increasing urban density against increasing propensity to walk and cycle in Nashville, USA. Cities and Health, 4(1), pp. 55-65. (doi: 10.1080/23748834.2019.1659667) 

Ahmad, S. and Creutzig, F. (2019) The wheels to a low-carbon transport system. Hindu, 

Ahmad, S. and Creutzig, F. (2019) Spatially contextualized analysis of energy use for commuting in India. Environmental Research Letters, 14(4), 045007. (doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab011f) 

Ahmad, S. , Pachauri, S. and Creutzig, F. (2017) Synergies and trade-offs between energy-efficient urbanization and health. Environmental Research Letters, 12(11), 114017. (doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9281) 

Ahmad, S. and Puppim de Oliveira, J. A. (2016) Determinants of urban mobility in India: Lessons for promoting sustainable and inclusive urban transportation in developing countries. Transport Policy, 50, pp. 106-114. (doi: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2016.04.014) 

Ahmad, S. , Avtar, R., Sethi, M. and Surjan, A. (2016) Delhi's land cover change in post transit era. Cities, 50, pp. 111-118. (doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2015.09.003) 

Ahmad, S. , Baiocchi, G. and Creutzig, F. (2015) CO2 emissions from direct energy use of urban households in India. Environmental Science and Technology, 49(19), pp. 11312-11320. (doi: 10.1021/es505814g) (PMID:26359859) 

Ahmad, S. and Puppim de Oliveira, J. A. (2015) Fuel switching in slum and non-slum households in urban India. Journal of Cleaner Production, 94, pp. 130-136. (doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.01.072) 

Ahmad, S. (2015) Housing demand and housing policy in urban Bangladesh. Urban Studies, 52(4), pp. 738-755. (doi: 10.1177/0042098014528547) 

Ahmad, S. , Mathai, M. V. and Parayil, G. (2014) Household electricity access, availability and human well-being: Evidence from India. Energy Policy, 69, pp. 308-315. (doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.02.004) 

Doll, C. N.H., Dreyfus, M., Ahmad, S. and Balaban, O. (2013) Institutional framework for urban development with co-benefits: the Indian experience. Journal of Cleaner Production, 58, pp. 121-129. (doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.07.029) 

Ahmad, S. , Balaban, O., Doll, C. N.H. and Dreyfus, M. (2013) Delhi revisited. Cities, 31, pp. 641-653. (doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2012.12.006) 

Ahmad, S. , Choi, M. J. and Ko, J. (2013) Quantitative and qualitative demand for slum and non-slum housing in Delhi: Empirical evidences from household data. Habitat International, 38, pp. 90-99. (doi: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2012.02.003) 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Housing inequality in socially disadvantaged communities. Environment and Urbanization ASIA, 3(1), pp. 237-249. (doi: 10.1177/097542531200300113) 

Ahmad, S. and Choi, M.J. (2011) The context of uncontrolled urban settlements in Delhi. Asien: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, 118, pp. 75-90. 

Ahmad, S. and Choi, M. J. (2010) Urban India and climate change: Mitigation strategies towards inclusive growth. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 5(6), pp. 60-73. 

Book Sections: 

Ahmad, S. , Baffoe, G. , Bhandari, R. , Young, G. and Osborne, M. (2021) Sustainable, healthy, learning cities and neighbourhoods. In: Venter, M. and Hattingh, S. (eds.) Learning for a Better Future: Perspectives on Higher Education, Cities, Business and Civil Society. Series: Centre for local economic development: topics in local development (vol.1). AOSIS: Cape Town, pp. 27-50. ISBN 9781928523970 (doi: 10.4102/aosis.2021.BK214.02) 

Koch, F. and Ahmad, S. (2018) How to measure progress towards an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city? Reflections on applying the indicators of sustainable development Goal 11 in Germany and India. In: Kabisch, S., Koch, F., Gawel, E., Haase, A., Knapp, S., Krellenberg, K., Nivala, J. and Zehnsdorf, A. (eds.) Urban Transformations: Sustainable Urban Development Through Resource Efficiency, Quality of Life and Resilience. Series: Future City, 10. Springer, pp. 77-90. ISBN 9783319593234 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-59324-1_5) 

Kono, N., Suwa, A. and Ahmad, S. (2016) Smart cities in Japan and their application in developing countries. In: Jupesta, J. and Wakiyama, T. (eds.) Low Carbon Urban Infrastructure Investment in Asian Cities. Series: Cities and the Global Politics of the Environment. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 95-122. ISBN 9781137596758 

Ahmad, S. (2015) Housing poverty and inequality in urban India. In: Heshmati, A., Maasoumi, E. and Guanghua, W. (eds.) Poverty Reduction Policies and Practices in Developing Asia. Series: Economic Studies in Inequality, Social Exclusion and Well-Being. Springer: Singapore, pp. 107-122. ISBN 9789812874191 (doi: 10.1007/978-981-287-420-7_6) 

Ahmad, S. and Koch, F. (2015) Urban housing and basic services. In: Griffith, C. and Watkins, M. (eds.) Comments on Habitat III Issue Papers. Arizona State University: Tempe, AZ, pp. 38-42. 

Ahmad, S. and Ahmad, T. (2011) Housing demand and habitat policy in rural India. In: Khan, N.U. and Sigmani, P. (eds.) Reinventing Public Management and Development in Emerging Economies. Macmillan Publishers India: New Delhi, pp. 387-402. ISBN 9780230332737 

Book Reviews: 

Ahmad, S. (2021) Cities of dragons and elephants – Urbanization and urban development in China and India. Regional Studies, 55(4), pp. 770-771. (doi: 10.1080/00343404.2021.1879488)[Book Review] 

Ahmad, S. (2016) Tom Barnes, Informal Labour in Urban India – Three Cities, Three Journeys. Journal of Australian Political Economy, 78, pp. 248-252. [Book Review] 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Invisible Population: The Place of the Dead in East Asian Megacities. Aveline-Dubach, Natacha (Ed.) 2012 Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. 223 pp. £44.95/US$70.00 ISBN 9780739171448 hardback. Urban Studies, 50(12), pp. 2611-2614. (doi: 10.1177/0042098013494247)[Book Review] 

Research Reports or Papers: 

Ahmad, S. (2020) Sustainable Neighbourhood Development in Emerging Economies: A Review. Documentation. GCRF Centre for Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods (SHLC). 

Sridharan, N., Ahmad, S. , Ahmed, D. M., Banerjee, D. and Vardhan, P. (2014) City of Victory - Vijayawada: City Profile. Working Paper. School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada (SPAV), Andhra Pradesh, India. 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Review of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in India: A Case Study of MRTS Projects. Project Report. Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), Delhi, India. 

Conference or Workshop Item: 

Ahmad, S. (2018) Can Geographically Weighted Regression Improve our Contextual Understanding of Commuting Emissions in India? Cities and Climate Change Science Conference 2018, Alberta, Canada, 5-7 March 2018. 

Ahmad, S. (2016) Obesity - The Weight of Urbanization and its Mobility: Empirical Evidence from India. Urbanization in Asia: Economic and Social Consequences, Seoul, South Korea, 15-16 Dec 2016. 

Ahmad, S. (2016) Solid Waste Management Challenges and Solutions. Green Talents Alumni Conference 2016, Berlin, Germany, 27-28 Oct 2016. 

Ahmad, S. (2016) Energy-efficient Urbanization for Better Public Health in India. 7th International Sustainability Transitions Conference (IST 2016), Wuppertal, Germany, 6-9 Germany 2016. 

Ahmad, S. (2016) Climate Change Mitigation Options in Indian Cities. Indo-German Symposium on Smart Cities, Berlin, Germany, 27-29 April 2016. 

Ahmad, S. (2016) CO2 Emissions from Household Direct Energy Use in Indian Cities. 1st International Workshop on Clean Energy Development in Asian Cities, Kyoto, Japan, 28-29 March 2016. 

Ahmad, S. (2016) The Sweet Spot of Sustainable Urban Development. 3rd Annual India Human Development Survey Data User Conference, Alwar, India, 16-18 March 2016. 

Ahmad, S. , Vardhan, P., Sharma, S. and Benerjee, D. (2014) Review of UDPFI Guidelines: Addition and incorporation. Workshop on the Revision of Urban Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (UDPFI) Guidelines, Mysore, India, 18 Jan 2014. 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Health as an issue in urban planning: Preventing health disasters. International Seminar on Corridors, City Regions and Cities in Urban and Regional Development, Vijayawada, India, 22 Nov 2013. 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Housing typologies and their implications in corridor regions. International Seminar on Corridors, City Regions and Cities in Urban and Regional Development, Vijayawada, India, 22 Nov 2013. 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Relationship between urban form, socio-economic factors, and travel behavior in Indian cities. Beijing Forum 2013, Beijing, China, 1-3 Nov 2013. 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Nexus between MRTS and land cover change in Delhi. IGU Kyoto Regional Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 4-9 Aug 2013. 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Slum households and cooking energy: Fuels, stoves and cooking spaces. APN Joint 18th Inter-Governmental Meeting / Scientific Planning Group Meeting, Kobe, Japan, 10-12 April 2013. 

Ahmad, S. (2013) Household energy equity and human well-being: A case of India. Earth System Governance Tokyo Conference: Complex Architectures, Multiple Agents, Tokyo, Japan, 28-31 Jan 2013. 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Housing demand and housing policy in urban Bangladesh. Sixth Urban Research and Knowledge Symposium – Cities of Tomorrow: Framing the Future, Barcelona, Spain, 8-10 Oct 2012. 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Housing supply systems in unauthorized settlements in Delhi: Process and outcomes. 48th ISOCARP Congress – Fast Forward: Planning in a (Hyper) Dynamic Urban Context, Perm, Russia, 10-13 Sept 2012. 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Overview of Energy Consumption and GHG Mitigation in the Residential Building Sector in India. 4th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE), Suzhou, China, 5-8 July 2012. 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Adaptation Approach for Slum Dwellers: A Case Study of India. Workshop on Climate Change Governance in the Asia-Pacific Region: Agency, Accountability and Adaptiveness, Canberra, Australia, 14-16 March 2012. 

Ahmad, S. (2010) Identifying and Measuring Dimensions of Urban Deprivation in Delhi: A Town Level Analysis. 3rd International Conference on Infrastructure Systems and Services, Shenzhen, China, 11-13 Nov 2010. 

Ahmad, S. (2009) Problems and Prospects of Uncontrolled Urban Settlements in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Delhi. 10th Asian Planning School Association (APSA) Congress, Ahmedabad, India, 24-26 Nov 2009. 

Ahmad, S. (2009) Urban India and Climate Change: Mitigation Strategies towards Inclusive Growth. 10th APRU Doctoral Students Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 6-10 July 2009. 

Conference Proceedings: 

Ahmad, S. (2017) Health and environmental co‐benefits of increased active transportation in Nashville, Tennessee. In: Cities and Climate Conference 2017, Potsdam, Germany, 19-21 Sept 2017, 

Ahmad, S. , Pachauri, S. and Creutzig, F. (2017) Urban Planning Strategies for Improving Public Health and Reducing Emissions: A Co‐benefits Approach. In: Cities and Climate Conference 2017, Potsdam, Germany, 19-21 Sept 2017, pp. 176-198. ISBN 9789490354510 

Website: 

Bhandari, R. , Baffoe, G. and Ahmad, S. (2021) Inequalities in cities of the Global South: Learning from the session organised at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference, London, 2021. [Website] 

Ahmad, S. and Nesterova, Y. (2020) What makes your neighbourhood sustainable? Lessons from a virtual photography exhibition. [Website] 

Ahmad, S. (2014) Tackling the switch from traditional cooking fuels in Indian slums. [Website] 

Ahmad, S. (2012) Housing inequality amongst disadvantaged communities in India. [Website] 

Research datasets 

Munir, F., Ahmad, S. , Ullah, S. and Wang, Y. P. (2021) Understanding housing inequalities in urban Pakistan: An intersectionality perspective of ethnicity, income and education. [Data Collection]