Dr. Zhaoxi Zhang Presents Urban Technology Research at European Universities
In May, Dr. Zhaoxi Zhang traveled to the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Germany to meet with international colleagues and discuss her research on emerging technologies and their role in creating safer, healthier and more resilient urban spaces.
Her first stop was Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands, where she was hosted by Dr. Gamze Dane, associate professor of digitally-enabled urban development in the Department of the Built Environment. There, she presented on how emerging technologies such as sensors, virtual reality, and AI can support more human-centered urban planning and decision-making.
Dr. Zhang presents her research “New Technologies for Human-Centered Urban Planning” at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel and share my research on AI and emerging technologies with students and researchers who are working on similar topics,” said Dr. Zhang. “It just goes to show that all around the world there are people who share similar interests to mine and the same dedication to ensuring that as technology improves, so do our urban areas and the experiences of the people living in them.”
Dr. Zhang was also invited to speak at the University of Copenhagen by Dr. Christian Fertner, associate professor in urban and regional planning. She then visited her alma mater, Aarhus University, where she shared her research with students and colleagues including Dr. Anders Branth Pedersen, senior researcher in the Department of Environmental Science, and Dr. Marianne Zandersen, professor in the Department of Environmental Science.
Outside of her research presentations, Dr. Zhang also held meetings with colleagues in Belgium and Germany, including Dr. Pieter Ballon, professor and vice-rector for research in the Department of Communication Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Dr. Ate Poorthuis, assistant professor of big data and human-environment systems in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at KU Leuven in Belgium. Lastly, Dr. Zhang met with Dr. Lanqing Gu from the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany.
Dr. Zhang outside Aarhus University, where she received her Ph.D. in 2022
“We’re thrilled to see our faculty sharing their research with colleagues and partners across the globe,” said Dr. Laura Dedenbach, interim chair of the University of Florida Department of Urban and Regional Planning. “Efforts like these by our faculty and committed partners help expand our department’s global reach and ensure that the ideas being developed here in Gainesville are contributing to building healthier, more resilient cities around the world.”