I am an associate professor in spatial planning and digitalization at the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University. I have a long-standing commitment to interdisciplinary and innovative research to address complex governance problems, conflicts of interest in planning, and sustainability challenges. My current research focuses on digital planning, collaborative planning, urban governance, and planning support science for inclusive and sustainable development. I examine how digital technologies (e.g., planning support systems, social media, artificial intelligence, and digital twins) interact with urban governance and planning processes across diverse institutional and local contexts. I explore how these technologies reshape citizen participation and power dynamics in urban regeneration, water management, nature-based solutions, environmental protection, and infrastructure projects. I also investigate their potential to enhance inclusiveness and efficiency in governance processes while addressing ethical challenges. I have developed innovative mixed-methods approaches, combining qualitative methods (e.g., interviews and discourse analysis) with data mining, social media data analytics, social network analysis, computational modeling, and statistical analysis. My research has been recognized by the European Research Council (ERC), which awarded me an ERC Starting Grant (2021-2026) to establish a team focusing on Collaborative Planning in China with the Impact of Social Media and Digital Technologies. I also participated in an interdisciplinary project funded by the EWUU alliance, focused on developing an AI-driven Digital Twin Platform for Circular Green Infrastructure, involving partners from Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University, and Utrecht University. Additionally, I have conducted intensive research on housing provision, social and economic integration of migrants, accessibility and equity, and the impact of e-commerce and digital platforms on urbanism. I was involved in a research project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in collaboration with NSFC, examining Urban Housing of Migrants in China and the Netherlands. Beyond research, I contribute to planning practices and education innovation, bridging the gap between research, practice, and education about the impact of digitalization and AI on spatial planning.
I have published more than 60 articles in leading international journals, such as Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, Urban Studies, Cities, Telecommunications Policy, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Planning Theory, and Journal of Cleaner Production. I serve as the lead editor of two special issues: "Digital Planning for Sustainable Urban Future" in Computers, Environment and Urban Systems and “Collaborative Planning in the Digital Era” in Planning Practice & Research. In addition, I have edited two books: "Smart Governance and New Forms of Collaborative Planning" (The Commercial Press) and "Village in the City: Asian Variations of Urbanisms of Inclusion" (Park Books). I have been invited to present my research at numerous international conferences and served on the local committee of the 13th International Conference on Computational Urban Planning and Urban Management (CUPUM), where I also organized the section on “Planning Support Systems: Participation.” I have led the organization of two events in 2025: a workshop on “Developing the Agenda for Digital Planning and AI” in CUPUM 2025 (London) and the International Conference on Collaborative Planning in China and Beyond (Utrecht). Additionally, I serve as an external expert for the Swiss National Science Foundation and a reviewer of more than 40 ISI-indexed journals and Elsevier books. I am a member of the editorial board of Planning Practice & Research, Urban Governance, and the Big Data and Smart Cities Research Book Series.