Jia-Ching Chen

Jia-Ching Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), with affiliate appointments in the Department of Geography and the Interdepartmental PhD Emphasis in Environment and Society. His research focuses on China's role in global green economy dynamics, transnational urban planning, and the intersections of climate justice, infrastructure, and political-industrial ecology. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley in City & Regional Planning, with interdisciplinary training in Global Metropolitan Studies, Geography, and Anthropology.

Education:

• PhD, City & Regional Planning, UC Berkeley (with designated emphasis in Global Metropolitan Studies and outside fields in Geography and Anthropology)
• Professional MCP (Master of City Planning), UC Berkeley

Research interests include the global spread of Chinese planning expertise, environmental governance in the Global South, and the socio-spatial impacts of eco-civilization policies. His work bridges urban studies, political ecology, and critical development studies, often examining how capital and state strategies shape environmental and urban transformations in China and beyond.

Publications highlight themes like urbanization in Luanda, eco-urbanization in Yixing, and socio-environmental dilemmas in China's ecological policies. He is a Switzer Environmental Fellow and previously taught at Pennsylvania State University's Department of Geography.

Awards:

• 2023 IJURR Best Article Prize for 'Blocos Urbanism'

Teaching includes courses on global environmental politics, urbanization in the Global South, and China's role in globalization. His research has addressed labor movements, participatory planning, and the socio-environmental dimensions of urban development.