Urban-rural Assembly: Research on the Socio-Spatial Practices at the Urban-rural Interface

BCCN Lecture Series #2: Urban-rural Assembly: Research on the Socio-Spatial Practices at the Urban-rural Interface
 

The "Lecture Series on Science, Technology, and Innovation" at TU Berlin in cooperation with the BCCN (Berlin Contemporary China Network) provides an interdisciplinary platform to explore cutting-edge developments in science and technology. International experts share insights into innovative approaches and discuss their societal, economic, and environmental impacts. The series encourages dialogue between research, industry, and the public, offering students and attendees a chance to engage with forward-looking topics.

Here you can join this and other online or hybrid lectures of the lecture series: https://tu-berlin.zoom.us/j/69639573548?pwd=l4NpWJI9B3qilouRvqq3OzFke88E5J.1.

Abstract:

The complex relationship between urban and rural areas is of global significance. Across Europe and Asia, the transition from agriculture-based civilizations to industrial and technological societies has shaped the physical forms of rural settlements, cities, and metropolises, along with their social, cultural, and historical meanings. With the advancement of transportation, infrastructure, trade, and communication networks worldwide, and simultaneous changes in social and economic structures, interactions among diverse human settlements have become increasingly dynamic. These daily connections, exchanges, and dialogues between urban and rural areas form what is known as urban-rural linkages. The Sino-German interdisciplinary 'Urban Rural Assembly' (URA) project seeks to reflect on these dynamics. Based on URA, this lecture will present relevant research findings on the urban-rural interface from urban sociology and socio-ecological perspectives, encompassing theoretical perspectives, empirical cases, and methodologies, and will culminate in an open discussion.
 

Bio:

Dr. Huang Huang is an assistant professor at the Department of Urban Planning at Tongji University. Her academic journey began with her bachelor's and master's degrees at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University. She then pursued a Ph.D. at the Technical University of Berlin (TUB), focusing on Planning Building Environments. Her career includes a role at the CCST of TUB before returning to Tongji University.

Her research interests encompass urban sociology, critical urban theory, planetary urbanization, co-production theory, and actor-network theory. She is particularly engaged in exploring urban-rural linkages, localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in China, and revitalizing rural communities through participatory approaches. Her work aims to integrate urban-rural planning and promote sustainable development at the urban-rural interface.

Dr. Huang is also involved in advancing research methodologies in urban planning. Her recent publication, in collaboration with researchers from TUB's ‘Urban-rural Assembly,’ is titled "Capturing socio-spatial inequality in planetary urbanization: A multi-dimensional methodological framework." This work offers a new framework for conducting socio-spatial research, applied to understand socio-spatial changes at the urban-rural interface driven by urban-rural transformation processes.