Yan Song

Dr. Yan Song is a Professor and Director of the Program on Chinese Cities (PCC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of City and Regional Planning. She specializes in land use and environmental planning, focusing on low-carbon urban development, spatial analysis of urban form, and China’s urbanization policies. Her work integrates GIS and computer-aided tools to assess urban growth and sustainability challenges.

Her research examines domestic and international issues including urbanization drivers, green city development tools, land and housing market dynamics, and urban-transportation integration. Dr. Song leads the PCC, which investigates China’s urbanization impacts on environments and seeks equitable, sustainable growth strategies. Her projects are funded by NSF, EPA, HUD, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Research highlights include studies on rural-urban spatial restructuring, policy spillover effects, and energy transition mechanisms. She has consulted for Shenzhen’s city government and Beijing’s urban planning institutions. Dr. Song’s interdisciplinary approach bridges planning, environmental science, and policy, addressing global challenges like climate resilience and digital finance’s role in green development.

Her advising focuses on PhD students interested in Chinese urban issues, and she holds affiliate roles at the National Center for Smart Growth and Lincoln Institute. Recent work emphasizes the 5R urban retrofitting framework, equity in heat mitigation, and the interplay between technology adoption and environmental governance.