Wenzheng Li
Ph.D. in Regional Planning, MRP, Cornell U.; BSc in Remote Sensing, China U. of Geosciences
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
- Office: WMAX 129
- Email: wenzheng.li@ubc.ca
Wenzheng's research rests at the intersection of housing policy analytics, regional planning, and sustainability urban form. Before joining UBC, he lived in upstate New York, where he studied and worked at Cornell University, earning his master's degree and Ph.D. He also worked as a transportation planner at the local government, focusing on improving the affordability and accessibility of public transportation in small urban & rural areas.
AI-enabled planning research on housing, regional governance and equity
Wenzheng Li's current research examines Vancouver’s housing approval process by analyzing council debates and public hearings using AI, with a focus on how arguments, narratives, comments, and community participation influence housing development decisions. His previous research centers on urban spatial patterns—particularly polycentric spatial structure & policy—and addresses two questions: (1) the institutional processes and public policies that shape or influence urban spatial development patterns; and (2) how these development patterns, in turn, produce more sustainable and equitable outcomes. He extensively applies econometrics, machine learning, (Geo)AI, and GIS/remote sensing in his research.
- Cornell University, Introduction to GIS for Planners
- Cornell University, Intro to Urban Data Science
- Cornell University, Intro to Statistics for Urban Studies (CRP 1200)
- Cornell University, Neighborhood Change and Quantitative Methods (co-taught)
- Cornell University, Mapping and Counter-mapping (co-taught)
- C. V. Starr Fellowships in East Asian Studies, Einaudi Center for International Studies
- Alan Black Transportation Planning Grant
- Sage Fellowship, Cornell University
