Sarah Barns is a Vice-Chancellors Senior Research Fellow whose work is critically engaged with the civic design of digital–urban interfaces, platforms and ecosystems for urban justice and connected communities.
As a scholar-practitioner Sarah leads the creation of civic storytelling and data interfaces with industry and community partners in public spaces, drawing on her long-term practice as a director of Esem Projects and STORYBOX. As an urban researcher, Sarah is a leading thinker in the emerging field of ‘platform urbanism’, which considers the relational impacts of digital ecosystems and governance on urban governance and everyday life.
Sarah’s current research addresses place-based capabilities for regenerative urbanism. This includes civic governance and custodianship models for place-based regeneration, linking ecological, digital and human health agendas, and undertaken in collaboration with industry and community partners.
Previously Sarah has worked as an urban consultant, creative director and policy adviser for Federal, State and Local government agencies, developers, urban design agencies and arts organisations.
sarahbarns.me
