Urban Green Infrastructure Planning for Connectivity, Sustainability, biodiversity and multifunctionality

The University of Sheffield offers a self-funded PhD opportunity in Urban Green Infrastructure Planning, focusing on connectivity, sustainability, and biodiversity. The research involves advanced digital technologies and AI to address urban challenges related to climate change. Candidates should have a relevant degree and will work within a multidisciplinary group. This position is full-time and based in the UK.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the most pressing urban challenges of the Anthropocene. Spatial planning plays a critical role in managing the use and transformation of our planet's ecosystems, particularly in mitigating negative impacts on biodiversity and promoting effective conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of nature and its contributions to people across temporal and spatial scales.This self-funded PhD opportunity invites highly motivated candidates to join cutting-edge research projects in digital planning, Green Infrastructure (GI), environmental modelling, spatial analytics, digital twins for planning and urban sustainability.The project addresses critical challenges in planning for nature and people by focusing on ecological connectivity, multifunctionality, and the application of advanced digital technologies and AI in green infrastructure. The research explores innovative approaches to balance ecological benefits, enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change, and harness GIS and remote sensing-based technological advancements.The detailed research topics can be one of the following three aspects:1 Ecological Connectivity and Conservation· Assessing and modelling the connectivity of green infrastructure.· Applying Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) in biodiversity conservation and urban planning.2 Multifunctionality and Adaptability of GI· Exploring the balance between solar energy deployment and urban green infrastructure for climate adaptation.· Optimizing spatial planning and urban cooling strategies using advanced simulations and AI-driven solutions.3 Digital Environmental and Urban Planning· Applying digital twins, mobile sensors, and data science for innovative GI planning.· Leveraging emerging technologies such as AI and XR to model urban futures.· Innovating urban planning using crowd-sourced and social media data.This PhD offers an exciting opportunity for students to contribute to cutting-edge research in urban sustainability and explore creative solutions to environmental challenges across the temporal and spatial scales, within an engaged, open-minded, and intellectually stimulating interdisciplinary group that values academic freedom and innovation.Entry requirements:Candidates should have a minimum of an upper second-class honours degree (2:1) (or equivalent) in Urban Planning and Design, Computer Science, Geography, GIS, Remote Sensing, Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or Environmental Engineering. A master’s degree is desirable but not essential. Candidates with degrees in other related fields of engineering or science will also be considered. Successful candidates will undertake a self-funded PhD at the UK’s top-ranked Planning School, the School of Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield, under the supervision of Dr. Jingxia Wang. As a key contributor, the candidate will have the opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary research group, AI for Climate Change, co-led by Dr. Jingxia Wang and Dr. Tiantai Deng.