Ali CHESHMEHZANGIAli Cheshmehzangi is a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design with a Ph.D. Degree in Architecture and Urban Design, a Master’s Degree (M.Arch.) in Urban Design, a Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Architecture, and a Bachelor Degree (B.A. Hons.) in Architecture. He is an urbanist and urban designer by profession and by heart. He studies cities and city transitions, sustainable urbanism, and integrated urban design strategies. Ali is Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies (CSET), and Director of Urban Innovation Lab at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). He is also a Specially-Appointed Professor at Hiroshima University, Japan. Currently, he works on two research projects on ‘Integrated Urban Modelling Framework’, and ‘ICT-based smart technologies for resilient cities’. Some of his previous projects are: ‘smart eco-cities in China and Europe’, ‘low-carbon town planning in China’, ‘green infrastructure of cities’, ‘nature-based solutions in China’, ‘toolkit for resilient cities’, ‘sponge city program’ and ‘green development in China’, ‘low carbon and climate-resilient planning’, and other urban transition studies. So far, Ali has +95 published journal papers and seven other published books. His books are titled ‘Designing Cooler Cities’ (2017), the award-winning ‘Eco-development in China’ (2018), ‘Sustainable Urban Development in the Age of Climate Change’ (2019), ‘Identity of Cities and City of Identities’ (2020), ‘The City in Need’ (2020), ‘Urban Memory in City Transitions’ (2021), and ‘Sustainable Urbanism in China’ (2021). He is currently editing a volume on ‘Green Infrastructure in Chinese Cities’.Hengcai CHENHengcai Chen is a Research Associate in Urban Studies at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). He obtained a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Urban & Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Urban & Rural Planning from Xiamen University and Fuzhou University, Fujian, China, respectively. He is an enthusiastic and passionate urban planner who is keen to explore new ideas in urban-related research. So far, his research interest in centered on overarching areas of urban sustainability and low-carbon city. Hengcai is currently engaged in several urban-related research studies while preparing to continue his further education at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. His goal is to continue research on urban sustainability studies, especially in the context of China.
