Dr. Chendi Zhang is a researcher and designer in landscape architecture and urban planning. Her research focuses on aging in place, climate change adaptation including wildfire resilience, urban analytics, computational design, and the social and spatial dimensions of built environment design. She uses mixed methods, including geospatial analytics, computational design media, policy review, and comparative planning research, to examine how planning and design can promote equity, resilience, and quality of life across diverse contexts.

Chendi earned her Ph.D. in Urban Planning at UCLA and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Beijing Forestry University. Chendi practiced at landscape architecture firms including OLIN and TLS.

Chendi is actively recruiting PhD students interested in exploring questions about environmental resilience, age-friendly design and planning and design for vulnerable populations using quantitative or mixed methods. A master’s degree in landscape architecture, urban planning, architecture, civil engineering or a related field is required. Professional experience is preferred but not required. Prospective students are encouraged to email Chendi at chendizhang@ufl.edu with a CV and a research proposal describing their research interests and potential areas of inquiry.

For more details regarding PhD studies under Dr. Zhang, please click here.

Research Publications

Zhang, Chendi*, Nicole Lambrou, Crystal Kolden, and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris. “Identifying misalignments in wildfire management: Opportunities for plan integration and stakeholder collaboration.” Journal of Environmental Management 390 (2025): 126274. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5182092

Zhang, Chendi*, Nicole Lambrou, Crystal Kolden, and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris. “Addressing Wildfire Resilience through Comprehensive County-Level Plan Effectiveness in California.” International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (2025): 105230. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5005225 

Zhang, Chendi*, and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris. “Chinese American Older Adults in Urban and Suburban Public Spaces: A Comparative Examination of Two Los Angeles Settings.” Journal of Urban Design (2025): 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2024.2329122 

Zhang, Chendi*, and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris. (2026) “Comparing age-friendly city and community policies from China and the world: a systematic review.” Frontiers in Public Health 13: 1707802. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1707802.