Yunpeng Zhang

Dr. Yunpeng Zhang is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor at University College Dublin's School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy since November 2022. He holds a PhD in Human Geography (2015) and an MSc in Urban Management and Development (2009) from the University of Edinburgh and Erasmus University Rotterdam, respectively.

His research focuses on urban-centric transformations under neoliberal financial capitalism, particularly socio-spatial justice, speculative urbanization, land financialization, and digital platform-urbanization intersections in China. He advocates for grounded, critical urban theories challenging Western centrism and investigates temporal politics in megaprojects and state-authoritarian dynamics.

Recent publications explore topics like Wuxi's environmental policies, Nanjing's gentrification mechanisms, and Yangzhou's feature town developments. These works analyze land commodification, displacement ethics, and state-society conflicts.

Scientific recognition includes the 2025 Influential Paper Nomination at China's National Science and Technology Forum, highlighting his contributions to urban political economy debates.

Dr. Zhang supervises research projects on digital platforms, rural land markets, and socio-spatial inequality in China and the Global South. He is involved in international collaborations on urban regeneration and platform capitalism.