Li Zheng Visits the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science

On the afternoon of December 18, Li Zheng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Pudong New Area District Committee, visited New York University Shanghai for a research tour. The visit aimed to further deepen the mechanism of Sino-foreign cooperative education, jointly build bridges for international educational collaboration, and provide high-level intellectual support for the high-quality development of Pudong as a leading area.

At the outset of the visit, the delegation toured the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science. Li Ying, Co-Founding Director of the Laboratory, delivered a comprehensive briefing on the Laboratory’s distinctive features, talent cultivation initiatives, scientific research and innovation achievements, applied research projects implemented in Pudong, and future development plans.

The Laboratory frames its vision for the future of cities around three core research themes, referred to as the “ABC” framework:

• “A” for AI: the development of smart and intelligent cities empowered by AI-driven digital technologies. Through artificial intelligence and big data, the Laboratory seeks to enhance urban governance capacity and promote new models of digitalized and intelligent urban management.

• “B” for Blue: the creation of climate-adaptive blue-green cities. By fostering climate- and ecology-friendly urban systems, the Laboratory aims to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and enhance urban resilience across multiple dimensions.

• “C” for Climate: the advancement of low-carbon cities through green and renewable energy transitions. The Laboratory explores pathways for urban carbon reduction, supports green and low-carbon urban development, and provides scientific evidence for cities’ responses to climate change.

Building upon these three research directions, the Laboratory has recently highlighted three key research focus areas: Climate Park & Communities, Resource-based Cities, and Robotic Urbanization.

In terms of international collaboration, talent cultivation, and academic exchange, the Laboratory maintains long-standing and in-depth research partnerships with institutions including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.

The Laboratory has also carried out a series of applied research projects in Pudong, including Research on the Spatiotemporal Optimization Platform for Regularized COVID-19 Testing Sites in Shanghai, Research on Digital Living Models in Pudong New Area Supported by Urban Big Data, and Consultancy on the Development of a “Digital Twin City” in Pudong New Area.

In collaboration with the Pudong Development and Reform Commission and the Pudong Ecology and Environment Bureau, the Laboratory is exploring the introduction of its internationally pioneering “Climate Park & Communities” concept into the design of the Pudong Expo Waterfront Area. Guided by the goal of building a globally influential climate-resilient and climate-adaptive city, and aligned with national strategies on low-carbon development, the “People’s City Built by the People” principle, and the “Beautiful China” initiative, the project aims to transform the Expo Waterfront Area into a benchmark for green development in Shanghai and nationwide, injecting new momentum into sustainable urban growth.

Additionally, the Laboratory is conducting joint research with Academician Lam of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and working with the Pudong Development and Reform Commission, the Jinqiao Administrative Committee, and Jinqiao Group to explore the industry–academia–research application of lightweight technologies in Pudong, addressing efficiency challenges in urban transportation tools and building materials.

Through collaboration with PIX Moving (Pix Moving / PIX), the Laboratory is developing autonomous driving and urban mobility algorithm models, and together with Jinqiao Group is exploring the construction of a Robobus-based innovative urban mobility model in the Jinqiao area. This initiative aims to address last-mile mobility challenges and the demand for customized, high-frequency transport services in parks and districts, thereby enhancing residents’ urban travel experiences.

The Laboratory is also jointly developing domain-specific visual large-model algorithms in the field of urban safety with Huantai. In cooperation with the Pudong Data Bureau and Pudong Digital Industry Group, the team is exploring predictive video-based models for electric bicycle fire risks in residential communities, addressing potential safety hazards at an early stage and contributing to proactive urban safety governance. Through these diverse collaborations, the Laboratory continues to contribute its expertise to regional development.

Li Zheng noted that Pudong is currently implementing central government requirements and the strategic deployments of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and is fully advancing the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent in line with the new goals and tasks proposed at the Leading Area Symposium. He expressed the hope that institutions would continue to leverage their diverse educational resources, remain rooted in Pudong while connecting globally, cultivate more internationally oriented innovative talent, produce more high-level educational and research outcomes, and attract more overseas faculty and students to engage and exchange in Pudong—thereby achieving mutual advancement and resonance with regional economic and social development.

Senior Research Assistant Rong Yu, Executive Deputy Director Zhou Wei, Senior Researchers Wang Jun, Tian Shuai, and Lin Ken, as well as Research Assistant Ji Luhua, from the LOUD Key Laboratory participated in the visit.