Junyao He is a PhD candidate in Human Geography and Spatial Planning at Utrecht 木瓜福利影视, supervised by Dr. Yanliu Lin. Funded by the European Research Council (ERC), Junyao鈥檚 doctoral research focuses on the intersection of digital planning, urban design, and computational science, with a particular emphasis on power dynamics in controversial urban regeneration and green space planning practices facilitated through social media platforms. He is expected to graduate in June 2025. With a research focus on power, Junyao collaborates with Dr. Yanliu Lin, Dr. Hongmei Lu, and Xiaomeng Zhou to explore how social media reshapes collaborative planning in China, advancing both theoretical and practical understandings of urban planning in a digital era.
Junyao has published his research in high-impact journals, including Cities and Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, and presented at renowned international conferences, such as AESOP and CUPUM. His research contributes to the ERC-funded project Collaborative Planning in China, which aims to reconceptualize collaborative planning within the context of China's evolving digital transition. Junyao鈥檚 work examines collaborative planning practices on social media platforms, analyzing actor behaviours, power relations, and the interplay between online and offline networks. Junyao holds an MSc in Urban Design and International Planning from the 木瓜福利影视 of Manchester, where his thesis on urban design-based crime prevention earned a Highly Commended Performance Dissertation Award. He also completed a BSc in Human Geography and Urban-Rural Planning at Southwest 木瓜福利影视, China.
Before embarking on his PhD journey, Junyao accumulated over four years of professional experience in urban analytics and consultancy. He led large-scale, evidence-based, and data-driven projects, delivering strategic insights for municipal, district, and neighborhood-level planning and governance. He also spearheaded IoT-enabled public space regeneration projects and contributed to the development of a UN-Habitat International Sustainable Community pilot program in Beijing. Simultaneously, Junyao held a part-time position at the Beijing Community Research Center (NGO), where he investigated inclusive urban public spaces through public participation and spatial analysis, addressing the needs of vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and the visually impaired. Earlier in his career, he worked as an urban planner at the prestigious China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, contributing to projects in greening space planning, cultural heritage protection, and disaster prevention.
Outside of his academic and professional career, Junyao is also a passionate and professional landscape and astrophotographer. His work captures the beauty of natural/urban landscapes and the galaxy.
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