Mohammad Sarraf

I am a researcher in urban and community planning with a background in architecture. My research focuses on the intersection of neurodiversity and the built environment. I explore how cities, spatial form, and everyday environments can better support the inclusion, participation, and wellbeing of neurodivergent people. My work is grounded in the broader concept of inclusive cities and ongoing paradigm shifts towards neurodiversity.

I hold an adjunct associate professor position at the Curtin Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin University, in Perth, Australia. I am also a research affiliate with the Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND).

Prior to joining RISE, I worked as a senior consultant at WSP; a researcher at Institute for Housing and Urban Research (Institutet för bostads- och urbanforskning: IBF), Uppsala University; and a visiting scholar at the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), University of British Columbia, Canada. I received my PhD in urban planning from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in 2015.

Latest publication:

Sarraf M, Girdler S, et al. (2026) Neuro-aware journeys: the lived experiences of autistic adults and caregivers in Swedish public transport. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 36: 101910. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2026.101910

The magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap by Karolinska Institutet: https://news.ki.se/everyone-benefits-from-neuro-inclusive-public-transp…

Interview article in Tidningen Arkitekten: https://arkitekten.se/nyheter/forskaren-vill-planera-stadsrummet-for-al…

Sarraf, M., Girdler, S., & Bölte, S. (2025). Autism and public transport: exploring the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework to investigate physical and spatial barriers. Cities & Health, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2025.2535246

Sarraf, M. (2024). Autism in urban planning: in search of a theoretical framework. Cities & Health, 9(1), 160–175.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2024.2404802