Dr Zakiyya Adam

Zakiyya joined the TSU as a Research Associate in March 2022. Her research has spanned a broad range of areas but her main interest lies in understanding how travel affects individual’s subjective well-being. Her current project focuses on identifying how the X-Minute City can be realised in suburbs and outer areas in European cities with up to approximately half a million residents. She previously worked at the PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity as a Research Associate. Her PhD in Urban Science, from the Warwick Institute for the Science of Cities at the University of Warwick, was conferred in 2021. Prior to embarking on her postgraduate journey, she worked in civil engineering consultancy. 

Zakiyya’s research sits at the intersection of different domains, looking to understand the interplay between disciplines and the intricate complexities of the relationships between them. She utilises both qualitative and quantitative methods and has a keen interest in undertaking research that has real-world impact.

The project she is currently working on – SPECIFIC – aims to combine social practice theory, thinking on socio-spatial justice and urban development, and transdisciplinary action research to co-create a tool to facilitate successful implementation of the 15-Minute City (expanded to the X-Minute City) concept in context-sensitive ways in low-density, peripheral settings in small and medium-sized cities in Europe. Strategic learning about upscaling and accelerating transformations towards just cycling-based urban development in low-density settings will be cultivated through transition experiments focused on cycling in five cities – Bellinzona, Bristol, Graz, Maastricht, and Poznan – and the creation of a transnational meta-lab where lessons from individual cities will be generalised.

Her previous research with the TSU – the PRINCE project – sought to understand the relationship between future mobility innovation and motor insurance, both how new technologies impact on insurers as well as the role that motor insurers play in seeing these innovations come to light.

The confluence of transport and health formed the focus of her PhD research, specifically exploring the subjective well-being effects of commuting. She has given lectures on transport related subjective well-being on modules organised by the TSU. 

• Adam, Z. (2021). Industry Briefing: Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence in the Transport and Mobility Sector. PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity, London, UK.
• Adam, Z. (2021). Industry Briefing: Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence in the Ambient Environment. PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity, London, UK.
• Adam, Z. (2021). Industry Briefing: IoT in the Supply Chain & Control Systems Sector. PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity, London, UK.
• Adam, Z., Walasek, L., & Meyer, C. (2018). Workforce Commuting and Subjective Well-Being. Travel Behaviour and Society, 13, 183-196.

See Google Scholar for full overview of publications