Xiaomeng Zhou

Promovendus
Spatial Planning

Xiaomeng Zhou is a Ph.D. candidate in Human Geography and Spatial Planning at Utrecht University under the supervision of dr. Yanliu Lin. Xiaomeng obtained a BSc. degree in Environmental Engineering from Central South University, China and a MSc. degree in Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Before joining Utrecht University, she worked on several projects regarding the governance of urban infrastructure, including the master thesis research of the governance of decentralized wastewater system in Flevoland, the investigation of Vancouver’s water and organic waste disposal infrastructure and the study of drinking water use in North Brabant.


Since April, 2021, Xiaomeng started her research on collaborative planning in China, focusing on institutions. Her research is part of the ERC funded project ‘Collaborative planning in China’ which aims to lead to a new understanding of collaborative planning and re-theorization of collaborative planning theory under authoritarian contexts. Xiaomeng’s research will analyze the influence of Chinese formal institutions (e.g., laws and regulations) and informal institutions (e.g., values and norms) on collaborative planning practices. In addition, she will study whether new institutions were created and how institutions changed through these collaborative processes. In the next coming few years, she will conduct in-depth case studies in different cities in China to solidate her research findings.