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Zhuozhang Li’s research is established at the intersection of urban studies, visual cultural studies and critical theories, with a particular emphasis on the (trans)formation and representation of everyday urban space.

Academic interests

Zhuozhang Li’s academic interests include:

• Grassroots urbanism and inclusive city-making
• Everyday spatial politics and practices
• Hong Kong urban cinema
• Knowledge co-production and participatory mapping.

Degrees obtained

• BEng in Urban Planning, Northwest University, 2014.
• MA in Urban Design, University of Sheffield, 2016.
• PhD in Architecture, University of Liverpool, 2021.

Awards and prizes

• Design Trust Seed Grant, Hong Kong, 2024.
• UCA Knowledge Exchange Funds, Canterbury, 2024.
• UoL PhD Scholarship, 2016.
• SSoA Alumni Prize, Sheffield, 2016.
• Outstanding Graduate Award and First-Class Scholarship, Xi’an, 2014.

Biography

As an interdisciplinary urban scholar, Zhuozhang’s research focuses on two themes: inclusive urban planning and management, and co-production of urban knowledge.

For the former, his research examines the relationship between ‘the order of rationalism’ in urban design and planning, and the ‘unknown order’ of social and cultural life. At the same time, he intends to explore the potential of creative urban methods (participatory mapping, films, collective collage, etc) in addressing this inattention to ‘everyday reality’ and giving voice to the overlooked communities. These two interwoven strands form the core of his role as a Research Associate at the Cambridge Room, where he works with local communities and groups to co-create a ‘one-stop-shop’ for community planning consultation.

Prior to Cambridge, he taught and guest lectured at several places, including Canterbury School of Architecture, Liverpool School of Architecture, Hong Kong Academy of Film, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Beijing Institute of Technology and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Alongside teaching, his recent research-led curatorial and/or artistic practice includes ‘Location, Imagination and Transformation (Hong Kong, 2024)’, ‘Planting and Placemaking (Metal Liverpool, 2024)’, ‘Traces Under the Surface (Beijing, 2023)’, ‘Entre las Flores (Granada, 2022)’, and ‘Knowledge is Power (Tate Liverpool, 2020)’.

Other interests

Cinema, painting, collage, walking, queer culture, hiking.