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Luo Chang
Email: Chang.Luo22@student.gdsqbz.com
My name is Luo Chang, and I am a first-year doctoral student at XJTLU, originally from China. I completed my undergraduate studies at Northwest University and pursued my postgraduate studies at the University of Glasgow. My research project focuses on the application of knowledge management systems in enclave economies. Personally, I am interested in regional economic development and planning, particularly in how to apply principles of sustainable development in these areas.
Doctoral Research: A framework for knowledge transfer and embodying it in Chinese sustainable and eco-oriented enclave projects
Exclave economy is a new phenomenon that has emerged with economic globalization, representing a model where elements from a different location engage in economic activities locally. This model is often associated with spatial forms such as immigrant gathering places, multinational company factories, and resource areas. In China, exclave economies are often linked to economic zones, especially cooperative economic zones. The purpose of this research is to explore how knowledge transfer, application, and creation play a role in the operation of exclave economic models in cooperative parks. Additionally, the study aims to investigate how to promote a more sustainable and green exclave economy.
Supervisor team: Dr Yunqing Xu, Dr Olivier Sykes（UoL）, Dr Sheng Zhong, Dr Peng Liu
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Yanting Fan
Email: yanting.fan20@student.gdsqbz.com
Yanting Fan obtained her master degree in Urban Planning from XJTLU and BA in Environmental Engineering from East China?University of Science and Technology.?Her research interests include environmental planning?and sustainable urban development. She has also worked as a research assistant in several research projects related to resettlement neighborhoods, watershed management, air quality and land value capture.
Doctoral Research: Effects of Urban Form on Air Quality in China: Spatial Interaction and Time-lag Effect in 288 Cities
Over the last two decades, air pollution has posed a tremendous socioeconomic challenge to the development of Chinese cities with rapid urbanisation. Many empirical studies suggest that urban form can sustainably reduce urban air quality deterioration. However, there is debate over what is the urban form that is conducive to the improvement of air quality. Specifically, understanding the dynamic temporal impacts of urban form on air quality is critical to predicting future air quality and making constant air quality improvement plans, while the long-term effects of urban forms may be understudied. Further, there is only scant evidence on the effect of interactions between different urban forms on air quality, bringing difficulties in the application of evaluation results to urban spatial planning practices. This research aims to provide a deeper insight into the spatiotemporal relationship between urban form and air quality by investigating the time-lag effect and the interaction of different urban forms on air quality. The study will be conducted through a spatial panel model based on the panel data of 288 cities in China during 2000 – 2020.
Supervisor team: Prof Joon Sik Kim (XJTLU), Prof Alex Lord (UoL), Dr Hyung-Chul Chung (XJTLU)
Xiang Chen
Email: Xiang.Chen2202@student.gdsqbz.com
Xiang Chen is a PhD student majoring in urban planning. Prior to his PhD study, he completed a master’s degree in Architecture at the University of Newcastle, Australia and a BE degree at Lanzhou Jiaotong University.? He used to?work in China Railway Shanghai Design Institute Group Co.,Ltd as an architect designer, mainly engaged in architectural design and planning work related to urban rail transit and urban village reconstruction.
Doctoral Research:
Coordination Mechanism of Integrated Development of Transit and Land Use in Transit-Oriented Development in China
This study investigates transit-oriented development (TOD) projects in the Chinese context with a focus of stakeholders’ coordination.?The investigation is based on multiple qualitative case studies of TOD projects in the Yangtze River Delta region.?It tries to develop effective coordination mechanisms?based on a full understanding of key stakeholders, their coordination issues, approaches and processes, as well as the project processes they are involved in.?It examines?the Chinese institutional arrangement for TOD and proposes?relevant suggestions to promote stakeholders’ coordination in TOD projects so as to realise successful integrated development of urban rail transit and land use.
Supervisor team: Yunqing Xu (XJTLU), Rui Wang (XJTLU), and Alex Lord (UoL)
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Anna Vichnevetskaia
Email: a.vichnevetskaia18@gdsqbz.com
Anna has had a vibrant career as a researcher and marketing strategist. Among other endeavours, she was a Project Lead at the Organization of American States in Washington DC, Communications and Evaluations Manager at the International Red Cross in Panama City, and Senior Editor at Huawei in Shanghai.
Currently, Anna is pursuing a PhD in digital heritage, looking at ways modern technology and innovation can contribute to how we understand and experience our past.
Anna holds an MSc in Urban Planning from UoL / XJTLU and an iBA in Political Sciences from York University in Canada. She speaks English, Spanish, Russian, and a little Mandarin and French.
Doctoral Research: Fun, Fact, or Fiction? Evaluating the Authenticity of Experiencing Augmented Reality at In-Situ Heritage Sites
Previous studies have concluded that the concept of authenticity is not a stagnant one. It changes, evolves, and often rests with the user’s perception rather than the object itself. As such, several authors have proposed that digital heritage — reproductions of real-life heritage sites in virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality — can provide visitors with an authentic experience of a digitalized heritage site. This, however, poses challenges to experienced designers in maintaining “scientific” authenticity and staying true to what we know as historical facts. Finding the balance between engaging the user and ensuring heritage authenticity and integrity is essential.? This project will develop an evaluation framework that will enable international conservation organizations like ICOMOS and UNESCO, national and local authorities, and various cultural organizations in the heritage and tourism sector to evaluate the authenticity of digital heritage reproductions. It will examine what qualifies a true-to-life digital experience on two fronts: a) the objective authenticity of a digital experience at a heritage site, that is, how true it is to what we know as historical facts; and b) the subjective authenticity of the same digital experience, that is, authenticity experienced from the user’s perspective.
Supervisor team: Dr Yiwen Wang, Dr Nick Webb（UoL）, Dr. Yue Li
Publications and Conference Papers:
Shaohua Hu
Email: shaohua.hu20@student.gdsqbz.com
Shaohua Hu was in Zhejiang Province Institute of Architectural Design and Research. He is now a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Xi’an Jiaotong – Liverpool University, Suzhou. His research focuses on the appreciation of holistic thinking and the utilization of relevant theories in transport policy implementation and?social phenomena, as well. Meanwhile, he also?explores the application of psychological theories, specifically self-determination, in understanding and influencing intrinsic motivation in people’s behaviors.
Doctoral Research: Getting Public Transport Networked: How to improve the implementation of this “wicked” problem
The implementation of Network Public Transport (NPT) poses a complex challenge. This research aims to develop a systematic approach to effectively address the intricate issues associated with NPT implementation. The study conducts a thorough review of current NPT-related research and identifies gaps, delving into the mechanisms involved in the complex process of NPT implementation through a lens of complexity and holistic thinking, along with relevant theories. Ultimately, this research seeks to explore how future societies should navigate complex social issues and respond to policy transfers.
Supervisor team: Dr Anna Sophie Sturup, Dr Olivier Skyes (UoL), and Prof Rhiannon Corcoran(UoL)
Beixi Sun
Email: Beixi.Sun22@student.gdsqbz.com
Ms Beixi Sun is a second-year PhD student at the University of Liverpool, based off-site at Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, China. Her research interests lie at the intersection of heritage studies, tourism studies, and memory studies. Her doctoral research investigates the issues and challenges associated with colonial heritage in post-colonial China. Prior to her PhD study, Beixi obtained her master’s degree in international cultural heritage management from Durham University.
Doctoral Research: To whom do we entrust the memories of our colonial past? – The dissonance of prison heritage in Qingdao and Dalian in postcolonial China
Heritage is a process of memory and construction, and this process is often selective and biased. The interpretation of heritage sites associated with colonial history are often treated as political events by governments. In some narratives of colonial heritage sites, particular aspects of the colonial past have been selectively highlighted to fulfill the political ideology or interests.
Colonial prisons in China, for example, are often used as a place for invoking the collective memories of China as a victim of imperialism, a base for patriotic education and a destination of ‘red tourism’—arousing Chinese nationalism and anti-Japan antagonism through tourism. However, there is also a need to curate it as a dark-tourism site, fulfilling the expectation and curiosity of young-generation thrill seekers and international visitors, performing the education and entertainment function of penal tourism, which has been long ignored in current heritage interpretation. Therefore, this research seeks to investigate the dissonance – conflicting views of different stakeholders — embodied in the colonial prisons in China and explore the socio-cultural and educational implications of this long-ignored dissonance.
Supervisor team: Dr. Yi-wen Wang, Professor Barry Godfery (UoL), Dr. Katherine Roscoe (UoL)
Hui Wang
Email: hui.wang2002@student.gdsqbz.com
Hui Wang’s research focuses on the cultural economy and urban development transformation in China’s inland regions. She holds a BA in Creative Culture Industry from Ocean University of China and an MSc in Sustainable Cities from King’s College London. Upon completing her master’s degree, she worked as a writer and editor for Urban China magazine and other creative agencies.
Doctoral Research: When Film Festivals Arrived in Small Cities: The Changing Geography of Chinese Film Production and Urban Development in Inland China
This thesis examines the development of the cultural economy and urban development transformation in China’s inland regions, with a focus on the recent proliferation of emerging film festivals events. The phenomenon of the inland becoming more ‘central’ for the film industry contradicts the existing theory that cultural industries are a product of post-industrial transformation. The study considers that understanding this dynamic needs an exploration of the diverse ways and forces shaping urban development in China, beyond the mainstream thesis of state entrepreneurialism that emphasis on the administrative role of state bureaucracy. The changing geography of Chinese film production and their role in inland cities suggest the importance of incorporating cultural economy into the narrative of urban processes. By expanding the research scope of the culture industry of Chinese cinema to spatial and social domains, this study argues that film festivals not only play a role in their own cultural and economic sectors, but also constitute driving forces for the development and transformation of inland Chinese cities.
Supervisor team: Shih-yang Kao (XJTLU), Mark Riley (UoL), and Yiwen Wang (XJTLU)
Publications and Conference Papers:
Wang, H. and Kao, S.Y. (2023) Cultural events and the city: The migration of FIRST International Film Festival from Beijing to Xining, China. City, Culture and Society, 32, 100506.
Wang, H. (2020) Double Exposure·Factory Rebirth, Site Project of Innovation Galaxy, Jing’an District. In: This Connection. Shanghai: Tongji University Press, 112–134.
Huo Da
Email: Da.huo18@student.gdsqbz.com
Huo Da is currently a PhD student focusing primarily on utilising landscape design to support healthy ageing-in-place. Prior to her doctoral studies, she earned a Master of Arts with merit from Newcastle University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Landscape and Design from Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology.
Doctoral Research: Healing landscape design that can support healthy ageing-in-place in China at the community level – a case study in Suzhou
This research-by-design study investigates whether and how healing landscapes can facilitate healthy ageing-in-place at the community level in Suzhou. In the process of retrofitting existing communities, landscape design is often neglected, leading to a lack in meeting the needs of older residents and supporting their outdoor activities. To address this gap, the interrelationship among landscape design features, older residents’ needs, and their behaviours is identified through a literature review, forming the conceptual framework for the subsequent research.
In the second phase of the study, case study communities in Suzhou are chosen to assess the effectiveness of the synthesised conceptual framework. This assessment is conducted through observations and interviews, facilitating cross-validation. Utilising plants selected from an established database, modular landscape designs are presented, in order to support older residents’ behaviours.
During the third phase of the research, an iterative process is undertaken to evaluate the design outcomes with older residents. Finally, design guidance on vegetation configuration is proposed to inform the design and redesign process of communities in Suzhou, aiming to promote healthy ageing-in-place.
Supervisor team: Dr Chen Bing (XJTLU, primary), Dr Chen Fei (UoL)
Peiao Tan
Email: peiao.tan12@student.gdsqbz.com
Peiao Tan is a current PhD in the Department of Urban Planning and Design.? He was one of the undergraduate student at XJTLU. Peiao obtained MSc in Regional And Urban Planning Studies from London School of Economics and Erasmus Master in Economics from Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne — Paris School of Economics.
Doctoral Research: Reassessing county to district reform in China from a population urbanization perspective
CTD reform is one of the two types of amalgamation, annexation, which refers to one municipal with larger scale, more developed or strategically important mergers other municipals. On the other hand, it is also a reform about local political centralization that city government converts existing county (part of the county) into new urban district under its direct control with centralization of decision-making power. The dual characteristics of CTD reform make it valuable to the existing literatures. It contributes the empirical evidences of the impacts of municipal amalgamation in developing and autocratic country experiencing rapid urbanization and economic transition. This study provides new evidences to the debate about centralization and decentralization using a rare policy reform at local level.
Supervisor team: Profwssor Rui Wang, Professor Olivier Sykes (UOL)
Qinyu Zhang
Email: Qinyu.Zhang16@student.gdsqbz.com
Qinyu Zhang is a PhD student in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at XTLU. She obtained her MSc in Urban Analytics from the University of Glasgow. Her doctoral research focuses on the institutional arrangement of urban regeneration.
Doctoral Research: Incentive-based Regeneration of Traditional Blocks in China: FAR Incentives for Quality and Equity
Urban regeneration is in a critical moment to explore a new mechanism with both high quality and effective implementation. The priority over asset exchange value should shift to use value via quality and functional optimisation inclusive to different urban users and syncretic to history and modernity. This research aims to examine influential factors and barriers for low-cost and enforceable planning incentives for regeneration of traditional blocks and puts forward institutional rearrangements and technological advancement contributing to the balance of quality and equity in Chinese context. It employs theories and approaches of institutional analysis and transaction costs, based on comparative studies of international and domestic cases with visualization on complex relations and cause-effects by cognitive mapping, it conceptualizes the suitability, efficacy and limitations of FAR incentives, and institutions for effective motivation, viability evaluation and quality management.
Supervisor team: Dr Yunqing Xu (UPD, XJTLU), Dr Alex Lord (Department of Geography and Planning, UoL), Dr Sheng Zhong
Xiaotong Guo
Email: Xiaotong.guo23@student.gdsqbz.com
I obtained my MA in Arts Management from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. I am currently a PhD student in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. My doctoral research investigates the changing, dynamic relationship between theatre art festivals and rural regeneration in China.
Doctoral Research: Culture-led Rural Revitalisation in China: A Case Study of Chinese Rural Theatre Festivals
The proposed research project will use qualitative research methods to examine contemporary (theatre) festivals in rural China. Using three rural theatre festivals as a case study, the study aims to determine how festivals in rural China influence and are influenced by local revitalisation. Additionally, the study aims to develop an implementable model to guide culture-led local revitalisation practices for multiple festival stakeholders such as cultural policy makers, rural communities, festival organisations, artists, etc.
Supervisor team: Shih-Yang Kao, Yiwen Wang, Mark Riley (UoL)
Lin Ji
Email: Lin.Ji20@student.gdsqbz.com
Prior to Lin Ji’s Ph.D. study, she obtained a master’s degree in Urban Planning from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Sheffield, and she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Landscape from Suzhou University of Science and Technology. Her research interests in community participation.
Doctoral Research: Sustaining Urban Commons: An Institutional Approach to Securing the Longevity of Community Gardens in the Yangtze Delta
The study focuses on the management issues of community gardens in China, from the perspective of collaborative governance of urban common. After an intensive literature review, this study will firstly identify the stakeholders and actors of representative community gardens in three cities of the Yangtze Delta, followed by a document analysis of the statutory and legal norms and regulations that define the property rights, responsibilities, and obligations of different stakeholder and actors and perceived ownership, rights and obligations of participants. The core part of the study is to identify the barriers, both formal and informal that prevent the transition of community gardens from a placemaking niche to a regime with clear definitions of rights, responsibilities and obligations that regulate and enable sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative governance of community gardens. This study will enrich both collaborative planning theory and its practical application at the micro-neighbourhood level.
Supervisor team: Dr Ying Chang, Dr Juhyun Lee, Dr Thomas Moore (UoL)
Siyu Chen
Email: Siyu.Chen1903@student.gdsqbz.com
Siyu Chen is a PhD candidate of XJTLU and research topic is age-friendly urban health niche modelling. He achieved his master degree of urban design in the University of Melbourne with best outstanding academic award and BA (Hons) in Urban Planning and Design from XJTLU with first class. He is also a research assistant of NSFC Project of Taihu new town elderly-friendly community research.
Doctoral Research: Explore influences of small-scale public open space of resettlement neighbourhood environment on landless elderly residents’ health-related behaviours in China —a Health Niche Model Approach
This research aims to explore the interrelationship between small-scale public open space within resettlement neighbourhoods and health-related behaviours of the landless elderly in China. Extensive previous researches have shown the complex relationship between neighbourhood environment, behaviours, and health outcomes, but the role of public open space within the resettlement neighbourhood has been largely overlooked. Most landless farmers, especially the elderly, have a strong sense of place attachment to their farmland and homestead. After losing farmland and relocating to the resettlement neighbourhood in the city, many elderly farmers may experience adaptation issues in terms of unhealthy lifestyle, stress and broken social ties. Those ‘soft edge’ space between buildings and roads is indeed the most intimate space for the elderly, as an extension from home place to public space, particularly for displaced farmers who used to live in the countryside. Based on the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the objective evaluation of small-scale public space of resettlement neighbourhood, observational behaviours, and self-report perceived environment will be collected and analysed. It is expected to be found from this research that the interrelationship among SNPOS (small-scale neighbourhood public open space), PE (Perception of environment), HRB (health-related behaviours) within the resettlement neighbourhood and enriching the concept of health niche model (Sarkar et al., 2014) at meso-macro level.
Supervisor team: Dr Ying Chang, Dr Bing Chen, Dr Fei Chen (UoL), Professor Dunning Richard?(UoL)
Publications and Conference Papers:
Chen, S., Chang, Y., & Benton, J.S. (2021). AB038. Neighbourhood health niche and well-being related behaviour change after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.?Journal of Public Health and Emergency.
Xiaohan Yu
Email: Xiaohan.Yu19@student.gdsqbz.com
Time period of studying at XJTLU UPD: 2021/09 – Present
Xiaohan obtained her BA degree in Civic Design from the University of Liverpool (UoL) and BEng in Urban Planning and Design, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). She received her MSc degree in Urban Planning at the Department of Urban Planning and Design, XJTLU. Her research interests cover transportation and land use planning. She has also involved as a research assistant in several research projects related to housing market, urban spatial planning, transportation, and air quality.
Doctoral Research: Accessibility, Congestion, and Air Pollution in Location Choice: An Empirical Study in Suzhou, China
In economic geography, accessibility is an essential factor for effectively boosting the economy. Empirical studies show that businesses and companies tend to agglomerate in areas benefiting from accessibility to maximize productivity and increase economic advantages in dense urban areas. However, some studies suggest a trade-off between the benefits of accessibility and the negative effects of air pollution and congestion, where these external costs can diminish accessibility’s advantages. The magnitude of this trade-off may vary depending on location and submarket differences.
Using Suzhou as the study area, this research investigates the effects of accessibility, air pollution, and congestion on housing prices from a spatial perspective, both at the city and district levels. The study aims to contribute to understanding the spatial implications of urban transportation infrastructure provision and policy in China, and more broadly, to discussions on new urban transportation policies at both national and global levels.
Supervisor team: Dr Hyung-chul Chung, Dr Anna Sophie Sturup, Professor Alex Lord (UoL)
Selected Publications:
Liyang Chen
Email: liyang.chen23@student.gdsqbz.com
Liyang Chen is a PhD student whose research mainly focuses on rural planning and its placemaking process. Meanwhile he is also a lecturer in Guilin University of Technology, teaching landscape design and planning studio II and III.? Liyang has several years of practical experience, he previously worked as a Design Director in Lab D+H, and before that he was designer at Coen Partners and Halvorson Design in the United States. Liyang holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Washington.
Doctoral Research:
The Making of Digital Nomad Destinations: A Study of Place and Technology.
This study explores the formation of digital nomad destinations, focusing on key drivers that make locations appealing.?Preliminary findings from a literature review identify affordability, reliable internet, accessibility, community opportunities, and quality of life as critical factors. Future research will validate these findings through mixed methods, including surveys and interviews. This work aims to provide insights for policymakers and destination marketers.
Supervisor team: Dr Lin Lin (UPD, XJTLU), Dr Stephen Jay (Department of Geography and Planning, UoL), Dr Shih-yang Kao (UPD, XJTLU)
Publications and Conference Papers:
Wenquan Gan
Email: Wenquan.Gan20@student.gdsqbz.com
Wenquan Gan is an urban designer and planner currently conducting his PhD research at the School of Environmental Science, University of Liverpool. He received a B.A. in Public Arts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and an M.A. in Urban Design from Cardiff University. His research interests include ageing-friendly communities, sustainable urban regeneration, ecological urbanism and urban analytics based on multiple urban data.
Doctoral Research: Renovating the Existing Old Residential Neighbourhoods to Improve Older Adults’ Well-being and Support ‘Healthy Ageing-in-place’: A case study of Suzhou, China
Wenquan Gan’s PhD research aims to explore the renovating design strategies to improve the ageing-friendly standards of existing old residential neighbourhoods and support older adults’ healthy ageing-in-place. This research adopts a multi-strategy method to undertake this pursuit, encompassing desktop research and rigorous field investigations. The foundational underpinning of this research is drawn from the concept of environmental psychology. The field investigations are executed through a methodologies triad encompassing GPS tracking, structured observation, and semi-structured interviews. The findings harvested from these empirical inquiries substantiate the pivotal role of outdoor activities in amplifying the well-being of older adults while concurrently affirming the pivotal significance of the built environment as a facilitator of these activities. In alignment with the conceptual framework, environments imbued with characteristics in consonance with the paradigm of healthy ageing proffer a conducive milieu for diverse activities catering to the multifaceted needs of older adults. In a community context, the pivotal role of neighbourhood resident committees, community public spaces, and urban parks in nurturing social networks and social participation among the elderly becomes patently evident. Indeed, older adults prioritise social interaction as a dire need that exerts a salient influence on their well-being. Finally, a cross-comparison and analysis of the responses of older adults in different types of residential neighbourhoods were conducted to gain insight into the cognitive differences of older adults on environmental preferences. These individualised preferences are the bedrock for formulating design strategies for regenerating ageing residential neighbourhoods. It is envisioned that applying these guidelines will be instrumental in constructing genuinely friendly cities for aging individuals.
Supervisor team: Bing Chen (XJTLU), Manuela Madeddu (UoL), Katia Attuyer (External)
Publications and Conference Papers:
Zhaoqin Shi
Email: Zhaoqin.shi16@student.gdsqbz.com
Zhaoqin is a PhD candidate at UPD. He completed a master’s degree in Sustainable Urbanism at University College London and a BA in Urban Regeneration and Planning at XJTLU/UoL. His research interests include rural planning and land property rights.
Doctoral Research: The Impact of Imperfect Land Property Rights on Rural Development: A Case Study of Rural China
Insufficient property rights hinder economic development in developing countries. Despite global efforts to implement land titling programs, the expected economic benefits often fall short due to discrepancies between actual and legal property rights. This research focuses on rural China, exploring the impact of special land property rights arising from non-formal property rights systems post-reform on rural development. Understanding this interplay can enhance property rights theory, offering valuable insights for policymaking, both within China and globally, to foster sustainable economic growth in developing nations.
Supervisor team: Xuefeng Wang, Yiwen Wang, David Shaw (UoL)
Kunlun Ren
Email: Kunlun.ren20@student.gdsqbz.com
Kunlun Ren is a PhD student in architecture. Prior to his PhD study, he completed a master’s degree in architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and a bachelor’s degree in architecture at Shandong Jianzhu University.
Doctoral Research: Design Research on University Campus Environment to Promote Students’ Mental Health
This research aims to analyze ways in which the university campus design can affect students’ mental health and provide a design guideline that can support future renovation of existing campus and new campus design to promote students’ mental health. Based on the literature review and case studies, students’ perception needs and activity patterns relating to mental health will be identified. The corresponding campus design approaches will be explored.
Supervisor team: Dr Bing Chen (XJTLU), Dr Junjie Xi (UoL), Dr Manuela Madeddu (UoL)
Publications and Conference Papers:
陈冰，任昆仑，钞秋玲. 融合与流变：我国高校学习空间演化模式探讨——以西交利物浦大学为例[J]. 建筑学报, 2023,651(2): 79-85
Yang An
Email: Yang.An19@student.gdsqbz.com
Prior to PhD study, Yang completed a master’s degree in Housing and City Planning at University College London (UCL) and a BA in Environment and Planning at XJTLU/UoL. Her research intersts are in housing development, conceptualising liveable developments, changing motivations and interactions among stakeholders.
Doctoral Research: For A Better Quality of Life in China: Planning Incentivisation in Housing Development
Housing, taking the largest share of urban land use, is central to the shaping of attractive living environment. Yet the financialisaton of the China’s housing system has turned housing from a social good towards an investment vehicle, intensifying problems such as vacant spaces, car-oriented development and air pollution, urban sprawl with inadequate infrastructure and social divides. Re-emphasising functional instead of investment becomes central to China’s pursuit of quality development attributes of housing given problems related to housing over-speculation. Planning incentivisation has emerged as a proactive mechanism to shape desired forms of development while minimising their negative public impacts through leveraging developers’ resources and motivations. Thus, this research aims to examine how planning intervention incentivises housing development towards improving quality of life and identify mechanisms that reshape the public-private relations and interactions in China’s urbanisation.
Supervisor team: Dr Yunqing Xu, Dr Olivier Sykes (UoL), Dr Sheng Zhong
Zijun Guo
Email: iam317@foxmail.com
I hold Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Design from the University of New South Wales, Australia, specializing in spatial design and interior architecture. Recognized for Academic Excellence (top 5%), my research interests lie in urban design, where I explore the intersection of urban planning and public health.
Doctoral Research: An analysis of blue and green spaces across Suzhou and its association with subjective well-being and recreational activities
The global trend of increasing urbanization brings health risks such as pollution and stress, impacting mental well-being. Urban areas can benefit from natural elements, promoting health through improved air quality and physical activity. In China, urban planning emphasizes health and well-being, with limited research on green spaces’ impact. A study in Suzhou examines how blue and green spaces affect well-being and recreation, using regression models to analyze their influence on physical activity. By understanding the relationship between green spaces, health behaviors, and well-being, this research aims to promote healthy lifestyles and enhance residents’ well-being urban areas.
Supervisor team: Dr Jinglu Song (XJTLU), Professor Thomas Fischer (UoL), Dr Hyungchul Cheung (XJTLU), Dr Xuefeng Wang (XJTLU)
Mohammed Lawal Shaibu
Email: m.shaibu19@student.gdsqbz.com
Lawal has spent about fifteen years studying and practicing in the field of urban planning and is dedicated to identifying sustainable ways of planning, developing, managing, and interacting with African cities. He has practical experience in Nigeria’s Town planning field and holds an MSc in Urban Planning from University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He is currently is currently pursuing a PhD in urban planning aimed at refining the outcomes of smart city initiatives in Africa.
Doctoral Research: Rethinking Smart City Initiatives in Africa to Enhance Urban Affordability through Inclusive Planning Processes
The smart city concept has evolved from techno-centric to more human-centric perspectives, with a focus on inclusive outcomes that benefit all citizens. This requires that services provided or enhanced by smart city initiatives are affordable, especially in developing countries. Otherwise, inclusivity as an outcome of smart cities is undermined. Through qualitative methods, this research thus seeks to identify how inclusive processes can be applied to the planning and implementation of smart city initiatives to enhance urban affordability as an inclusive outcome. The findings will be tested in the African context, where urban unaffordability is exacerbated, and recommendations will be made on ways to integrate diverse stakeholder perspectives to foster more affordable urban service delivery. The research contributes to the limited but growing literature on smart cities in Africa, responding to calls for local contextualisation.
Supervisory Team: Dr. Ju Hyun Lee, Dr. Joon Kim, Dr. Olivier Sykes (UoL).
Ruifan Tang
Email:Ruifan.Tang24@student.gdsqbz.com
My name is Ruifan Tang, a first-year PhD student at XJTLU from China. I completed my undergraduate studies at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, majoring in Architecture with a minor in Finance. ?Prior to my doctoral studies, I worked as an Assistant Architectural Designer at Sinochem Holdings. My research focuses on regional economics, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Doctoral Research: Disentangling the dynamism among regional history, entrepreneurial ecosystems and firm growth in China
A large body of literature has examined what factors contribute to firm growth, with the main results pointing to the importance of characteristics at the founder, firm, and more recently, ecosystem level. The entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) approach identifies that high-growth firms flourish in distinctive types of supportive environments. Although the concept of an EE has become appealing to both academics and policy makers, few studies have demonstrated how different regions develop their EEs nor measured the impact of EEs on firm growth across regions. Focused on the three most innovative city clusters in China, namely the Pearl River Delta (PRD), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), this research aims to investigate how regional history affects and contributes to the formation of EEs, and then to examine how different types of EEs impact firm performance.
Supervisor team: Prof Qiantao Zhang(XJTLU), Prof Xuefeng Wang(XJTLU), Dr Chia-Lin Chen(UoL)
Youwen Wu
Doctoral Research: Assessing the Impact of Temperatures on Mortality in Suzhou: Combining Machine Learning with Causal Inference.
This research project aims to unravel the direct impact of temperature fluctuations on mortality?rates in the urban context of Suzhou, utilizing an integrative approach that combines causal?inference with machine learning techniques. As climate change intensifies the occurrence of extreme temperature events, understanding their health implications within urban settings becomes?crucial. This study focuses on disentangling the direct effects of temperature from the indirect?effects mediated by urban spatial patterns, thereby offering insights into the complex interplay?between environmental factors and public health. By meticulously collecting and preprocessing a?comprehensive dataset, engaging in rigorous feature engineering, and applying advanced statistical and machine learning models, the project seeks to provide a scientifically robust basis for public health interventions and climate adaptation strategies in urban environments.?The ultimate goal is to contribute to the enhancement of urban resilience and the well-being of populations in the face of escalating climate challenges.
supervisory team:
Dr Jinglu Song (XJTLU), Professor Thomas Fischer (UoL), Dr Bailiang Li (XJTLU), Dr Hyungchul Cheung (XJTLU)
Ziyu Lin
Doctoral Research: Enhancing Regional Integration through Social Network Mode: Unlocking the Potential of Regional Collaboration in the Yangtze River Delta Driven by State Entrepreneurialism
State entrepreneurialism, based on hierarchical and market-driven governance (Wu, 2018, 2020), plays a key role in advancing regional integration in China. However, the decentralised authoritarian system and competing interests among different levels of local government often hinder effective cross-regional collaboration (Li et al., 2023; Ma, 2005).?This study uses social network analysis to explore how network structures can facilitate collaboration by focusing on the case of the ‘New Development Company of Yangtze River Delta Integration’ (Changxin Corporation). Through a combination of policy analysis, social network analysis, and semi-structured interviews, the research examines how social networks enhance state entrepreneurial practices, enable key actors to bridge regions through resource and information sharing, and how trust and network structure influence the effectiveness of cooperation and policy implementation.?The findings aim to offer policy suggestions that support stronger regional cooperation in China.
Supervisory Team: Joon Sik Kim, Dr Alex Nurse, Juhyun Lee, Xuefeng Wang
Jiayi Li
Email: Jiayi.li19@student.gdsqbz.com
Jiayi Li completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in architectural department at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the University of Liverpool. She is currently a RIBA Chartered Architect and conducting research on design governance. Her main research interests include urban regeneration, architectural conservation, urban design, urban governance, and place-making.
Doctoral Research: Institutionalising Urban Design Control to Enhance Urban Environment Quality: A Case Study of Shanghai’s Huangpu River Waterfront
China’s urban development is transitioning from rapid growth to a focus on quality and sustainability. Urban design plays a key role in addressing spatial imbalances and shifting priorities toward the public good, yet effective control mechanisms remain underdeveloped. This research explores how to strengthen urban design control in China from an institutional perspective. Using new institutionalism, it proposes a framework incorporating development sequences, stakeholder dynamics, design negotiation, and broader governance contexts. This research uses a qualitative case study analysis in Shanghai, focusing particularly on Huangpu riverfront regeneration projects.
Supervisor team: Yiwen Wang, Sebastian Dembski (UoL), Joon Sik Kim
Longqian Liu
Email: Longqian.Liu22@student.gdsqbz.com
Longqian is a PhD candidate majoring in urban planning. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Geography and Urban-Rural Planning from Hainan University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Arizona State University. Longqian further pursued his Master’s degree in Urban Planning at XJTLU, where he developed a research focus on rural housing property rights in China, he is now expanding this research in his doctoral study.
Doctoral Research: Rural Housing Property Rights and Rural Development in China
This research aims to explore and analyze the gap between legal reforms of housing property rights and their practical outcomes in rural China. The policy and law-making process that led to the current lay-out of rural China’s housing property rights system is an extremely complex yet little researched issue. What’s more, the gap between national legal-political framework for rural housing property rights and public perspective underlies many of the problems that are encountered at the grassroots. In order to comprehend what is happening at the village level, analyses of rural housing law and public perspective will be conducted. This research seeks to provide insights into theoretical debate about housing property rights and rural development.
Supervisor team: Dr Xuefeng Wang (XJTLU), Dr Qiantao Zhang (XJTLU), Professor Mark Riley (UoL)
Jiaqi Sun
Jiaqi Sun is currently a first-year PhD student in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), originating from China. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Shandong Jianzhu University and a Master of Engineering Science (Management) in the field of Civil Engineering from the University of Queensland. During his Master’s studies, he undertook a one-year research project exploring public perceptions of autonomous shuttle buses.?His research interests primarily focus on?Mobility as a Service?(MaaS) and Public transport.
PhD Research?topic: Solving the last-mile problem: Exploring the role of autonomous vehicles in the MaaS system
This research aims to investigate the application of emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and demand-responsive transport, integrated with the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) concept, to address the “last-mile” problem in urban transportation and thereby promote the sustainability of public transport. The initial phase of the PhD project will analyze autonomous demand-responsive transport and its roles across different contexts. The research will examine how these systems increase public transport usage, reduce congestion, and advance intelligent transportation. Additionally, the study will explore social impacts, focusing on how these systems enhance public transport accessibility and promote equity in urban mobility. Subsequently, the unique “last-mile” challenges specific to the Suzhou region will be identified through quantitative and qualitative research. Ultimately, within the framework of Mobility-as-a-Service (multimodal transport), the research will explore how autonomous vehicles can improve the last-mile problem to enhance the overall efficiency of public transport systems, culminating in the development of a final project evaluation framework.
Supervisors: Dr Anna Sophie Sturup (XJTLU), Dr Chia-Lin Chen (UoL), Dr Juhyun Lee (XJTLU)
Bagus Apriadi
Email: b.apriadi24@student.gdsqbz.com
Bagus (he/him/his) is a?young urban scholar with years of experience as a researcher/community architect/urban planner in Indonesia and Thailand. Before joining PhD in Urban Planning and Design at?XJTLU, he obtained a MSc in Urban Strategies from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and a BSc in Urban and Regional Planning from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Indonesia).?His main interest is urban studies, focusing on the interplay between urban transformation, community livelihoods, and environmental policy, geographically focused in Southeast Asia.?His current research investigates the intricacies of gentrification and tourism development in Southeast Asia.?As a multilingual young scholar, he communicates in Javanese, Indonesian, English, and Thai, and is currently learning Chinese.
Doctoral Research:?Navigating the Cultural Impact of Tourism-led Gentrification: Learning from Indonesia
There is growing concern to understand the cultural impacts of tourism policy and gentrification in the Global South, where even small policy changes can significantly impact local culture. In this context, Indonesia’s recent tourism policy makes?it a prime example of a destination vulnerable to tourism-led gentrification. Although negative economic impacts from the policy have been documented, cultural impacts remain underexplored. To fill this gap, my dissertation uses a participatory research approach to explore how tourism-led gentrification affects two Indonesian communities in Java and West Nusa Tenggara. My findings will contribute valuable insights for developing sustainable tourism practices that prioritize both economic development and cultural preservation in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
Publication
Apriadi BF, Setiawan RP, Firmansyah I. Policy scenario of plastic waste mitigation in Indonesia using system dynamics. Waste Management & Research. 2024;0(0). doi:10.1177/0734242X241231396
Apriadi BF, Alfiansyah TA, Izzah ZN, Qorina RT, Kencana AT, Tucunan KP. STUDI NETNOGRAFI PENERAPAN SKENARIO KEBIJAKAN KERUANGAN COVID-19 DI KOTA SURABAYA. Jurnal Soshum Insentif. 2021 Dec 15;4(2):104-13.
Manuscript in development
Apriadi BF, Rugkhapan NT. Analysing Coping Strategies for Housing Challenges among International Students in Bangkok, Thailand (Under review;?International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development)
Presentation and Invited Talks?
Apriadi BF. Voices of International Students in Bangkok. Slides Presented at: National Seminar of the Master’s Program in Literary and Cultural Studies: Multiculturalism and Education Universitas Airlangga; 2024, Oct 06; Surabaya, Indonesia
Apriadi BF. Identification of Khlong Bang Luang and its problems. Slide Presented at: Design Thinking Class at Thammasat University and Urban Living and Livelihoods Class at Chulalongkorn University; 2024, Jan 29-30; Bangkok, Thailand
Apriadi BF. Street Vendors among Studentification: Lesson Learned from Ratchathewi District. Paper Presented at: Association of Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS) Conference; 2023, Nov 27-30; Jakarta, Indonesia.
Apriadi BF. Identification of urban parks in East Surabaya for performing arts of Ludruk. Poster Presented at: Indonesia Council Open Conference (ICOC); 2021, May 7; Brisbane, Queensland.
Supervisory Team: Dr Lin Lin; Dr Daniel Yonto; Dr Sebastian Dembski
Shixuan Shen
Email: Shixuan.Shen23@student.gdsqbz.com
My name is Shixuan Shen, and I am a PhD student in XJTLU. I obtained my Master’s degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of Sheffield, following my undergraduate studies in Urban and Rural Planning at Lanzhou University of Technology. My research interests center around Rural Studies. Include: Functional Economic Areas (FEAs), mobility and allocation of urban and rural populations and resources, rural spatial restructuring, rural revitalization.
Doctoral Research:?Research on the Process, Mechanism, and Optimization Path of Rural Spatial Restructuring: From the Perspective of Functional Economic Areas
In the southern Jiangsu region of China, urbanization has reached levels comparable to those of developed countries. With the widespread availability of transportation infrastructure and private mobility, the spatial connection between places of residence and employment has become increasingly flexible. As a result, a growing number of rural areas on the urban fringe of cities like Suzhou have witnessed the emergence of a new pattern—residents working in urban centers while living in rural villages. This phenomenon reflects, to some extent, the characteristics of Functional Economic Areas (FEAs). However, due to institutional constraints such as the household registration (hukou) system and the persistent urban-rural dual structure, the flow of resources and labor between urban and rural areas remains restricted. Rural areas continue to occupy a disadvantaged position in resource allocation.
This study first adopts the concept of FEAs to interpret this emerging spatial pattern and identifies cross-administrative FEAs with integrated economic activity. Second, drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space, the research investigates the process and underlying mechanisms of rural spatial restructuring. Finally, it explores potential optimization paths for rural restructuring, offering theoretical and practical insights for rural governance and policy-making.
Supervisor team:?Xuefeng Wang, Mark Riley (UoL）