Dr Zheng Wang is a Lecturer in Sustainable Cities in the Department of Geography. He was previously a lecturer at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield (2017-2022) and Research Associate on the ESRC funded project ‘Governing the Future City’ (2016-2017).

Zheng holds a BSc in Urban Planning, Design and Management from University College London, an MSc in Regeneration Studies from Cardiff University, and PhD in Urban Studies from UCL at the Bartlett School of Planning. Zheng’s research has received the Early Career Research Award by the Royal Town Planning Institute (2017) and is an Associate Editor of the journal Transactions in Planning and Urban Research.

Research

• Politics and social consequences of urban (re)development
• Urban governance and planning of mega urban projects
• Community, neighbouring and neighbourhood
• Livelihood and integration of rural migrants in urban China

Zheng’s research has been funded by the British Academy and Economic and Social Research Council focusing on the long-term social legacy of large-scale urban developments, life and livelihood after resettlement and community rebuilding.

Zheng’s current work is focused on identifying and explaining the variegated processes underpinning the development of mega urban projects, and the social outcomes and possibilities that arise as a result.

He is particularly interested in how different urban governance configurations and planning approaches can produce variegated and potentially positive social outcomes and processes. His work takes urban China as a critical site to develop theoretical insights for a more global urban studies.

Teaching

Postgraduate

• 7SSGN180 Governing the Sustainable City

PhD Supervision

Zheng welcomes PhD student interested in the following research areas:

• Urban governance and planning of mega urban projects
• Community and neighbourhood research
• Urban regeneration
• Rural migrants in urban China

Further details

See Zheng's research profile