Dr Sara Tilley is a Research Fellow at the OPENspace research centre at Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA).
Her research focuses on transport and mobility in urban settings. In particular, Sara is interested in exploring the links between mobility in the urban environment and health and wellbeing. She has expertise in using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Her PhD in Ageing and Mobility at the University of St Andrews was funded by a CASE Studentship awarded by the ESRC in partnership with the MMM Group (formerly MRC McLean Hazel), a leading transport consultancy. Her performance led to further funding from the ESRC to undertake a Scottish Government internship and to a role as a Senior Researcher with the MMM Group in Edinburgh. She has also worked within the private sector, including for major firms, URS and Jacobs.
From 2015 - 2016 she was a member of an expert working group ‘A Square Go at Cities’, an initiative by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) to promote development of public realm and cultural infrastructure spaces in Scotland’s cities.
Just prior to joining OPENspace, she was awarded grants totalling £11,000 by the Design Council for Stages 1 and 2 of the Knee High Design Challenge, which seeks to improve the lives of children under five through design.