Ms Ling Zhou

Dr Ling Zhou is an urban researcher at UNSW Cities Institute whose work examines how spatial, policy and community evidence can inform more responsive urban planning and governance. Her research sits at the intersection of AI-assisted urban analysis, spatial modelling, community experience, cultural diversity and evidence-based urban policy. Ling’s current research focuses on AI city governance, data-informed planning, healthy and resilient cities, youth wellbeing, and the relationship between digital infrastructure and human settlements. She is particularly interested in how AI-assisted methods, geospatial analysis and community sensing can help translate complex urban data into practical insights for planners, policymakers and communities. Her doctoral research developed a spatio-cultural approach to understanding Sydney’s Chinese communities, examining how urban street networks, cultural visibility and place-based experience shape culturally diverse urban environments. Her broader work connects computational urban analysis with questions of spatial justice, public value and community-responsive governance.