Wenzheng Li
Wenzheng Li's research focuses on the urban spatial structure, with emphasis on the measures of polycentricity and its empirical justification as the future spatial planning paradigm in an international context. He explores the topic in terms of morphological and functional metrics and justifies the positive impacts of polycentricity on boosting economic welfare, reducing regional disparity, and improving environmental sustainability. He is engaged in an ongoing project that examines how people value neighboring environmental amenities (e.g., green space and clean air) over time in regions with rapid environmental degradation through the hedonic housing price model. Li extensively combines GIS, remote sensing, spatial econometrics, and computer programming in his research. Before joining the Ph.D. program, Li worked for Tompkins County, where he was committed to improving the affordability and accessibility of public transportation in small urban/rural areas. He received his bachelor's degree in remote sensing from China University of Geosciences and a master's degree in regional planning at Cornell University.
