An urban researcher, architect, and urban designer, integrating spatial data science and computational urban analytics to investigate inclusive city, social sustainability, urban regeneration, and socio-spatial processes. His work combines machine learning, geospatial analysis, and urban theory to develop data-driven approaches for understanding complex urban contexts.
Education
2019.11 - 2024.05
Ph.D. in Architectural and Urban Design
Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Thesis: Sustainable Production of Public Space in Small Historic Cities in China
Research topics: inclusive city, cultural sustainable urban regeneration, tourism balance, public life in high-density contexts.
2015.09 - 2018.09
M. Arch.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Thesis: Walking Experience Evaluation of Urban Three-Dimensional Commercial Street.
Research topics: Public space and public life in high-density urban context, spatial equality, micro-scale urban regeneration
2011.09 - 2015.06
B.Eng. in Spatial Information and Digital Technology
Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Graduation project: Design and Implementation of Web Front-end of City Portal System Based on jQuery Framework
Focus: Focus: Computer science foundation, programming logic, digital mapping, and spatial data processing.
2011.09 - 2015.06
B.Eng. (Minor) in Architecture
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Graduation project: Design of a High-rise Comprehensive Office Building in Optics Valley Plaza, Wuhan
Double-degree programme under the framework of the Cooperation Consortium of Wuhan Universities
Work Experience
2026.06 - Present
Postdoctoral Researcher
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Research topics: inclusive city, spatial inequality, public spaces in high-density urban contexts, machine learning and deep learning in urban studies
2024.06 - 2026.05
Independent Architect
Milan, Italy
Provided architectural consultancy and design services for private residential and commercial projects.
Conducted research and published 3 academic and 1 non-academic articles.
Curriculum development: Led the academic planning and syllabus design for 3 courses in the group of Architectural History and Theory.
Team leadership: Managed a teaching team of over 10 junior lecturers: task allocation, performance evaluation, and maintaining teaching quality consistency.
Distinguished Contribution Award in 2018, recognising excellence in teaching and curriculum development.
Liu, Q., Semprebon, G. and Li, K.* (2025) ʻThe impact of city walls on urban growth and spatial structure of historical cities: A space syntax analysis of Zhengding, Chinaʼ, Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 1-18. DOI: 10.1080/13467581.2025.2591513. (SCI / A&HCI / Scopus)View Details
Pezzetti, L.*, Li, K. and Liu, Q. (2025) ʻContinuing to Write: Type-morphology, Latent Structures, and the Urban Project for the Chinese Cityʼ, The Architect, no. 02, pp. 6-15. DOI: 10.12285/jzs.20250402003. (CSSCI)View Details
Liu, Q.*, Liu, Y. and Pezzetti, L. (2025) ʻOpen spaces as the key to the integration issue of historical site reconstruction projects: a cross-cultural comparisonʼ, Built Heritage, vol. 9, no. 1. DOI: 10.1186/s43238-025-00176-1. (Scopus/CSCD)View Details
Dong, H., Liu, Q. and Wang, F. (2018) ʻMiniature Public Space Planning: A Case Study of Hanyang District in Wuhanʼ, City Planning Review, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 33–43. DOI: 10.11819/cpr20180407a. (CSSCI / CSCD)View Details
Dong, H., Liu, Q. and Li, S. (2017) ʻLarge-Scale Public Space Construction Based on Grey and Green Infrastructure: From Experience of Boston to Contemporary Practiceʼ, Chinese Landscape Architecture, vol. 33, no. 10, pp. 113–118. Available at wanfangdata.com.cn. (CSCD / Chinese Core Journal)View Details
Dong, H. and Liu, Q. (2016) ʻThe Production of Urban Mini-type Public Space: Another Half Mission of Architectural Designʼ, New Architecture, no. 6, pp. 33–38. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1000-3959.2016.06.007. View Details
Conference Papers
Liu, Q. and Pezzetti, L. (2023) ʻThe Simplified Courtyard and Its Public Space in North Chinaʼs Small Cities: Significance, Threats, and Opportunitiesʼ, Integrated Planning in the Context of Global Turbulence: Book of Proceedings of 35th AESOP Annual Congress. Łódź, Poland, July 10-15th, pp. 855–869. Available at https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14235/1240. View Details
Liu, Q. and Pezzetti, L. (2022) ʻRole of Public Spaces Between Built Heritge and Living City: the case of Changle Gate in Zhengding, Chinaʼ, Book of Proceedings: AESOP 2022 Congress ʻSpace for Species: Redefining Spatial Justiceʼ. Tartu, pp. 217–225. Available at https://proceedings.aesop-planning.eu/index.php/aesopro/article/view/27. View Details
Liu, Q. and Pezzetti, L. (2022) ʻTourism-boosting rebuilding of historic buildings and urban form: the case study of Yanghe Tower and its urban morphology in Zhengding, Chinaʼ, Annual Conference Proceedings of the XXVIII International Seminar on Urban Form. Glasgow, University of Strathclyde Publishing, pp. 634–641. DOI: 10.17868/strath.00080470. View Details
Sustainable Production of Public Spaces in Small Historic Cities
Politecnico di Milano
Role: PhD research, independently conducted.
Context: Investigated the morphological evolution of public spaces under urbanization and tourism pressures, viewing urban forms as adaptive commons for social resilience.
Contribution: Developed a typo-morphological framework to public space regeneration strategies that balance heritage conservation, tourism growth, and local public life in historic cities.
Methodology: Integrated historical research with quantitative spatial analysis (Space Syntax & Python).
Role: Key researcher in the team led by PI Prof. Laura Pezzetti
Commissioned and funded by the municipality of Milan
Investigated the resilience and students’ wellbeing in school buildings in northern Italy in the post-COVID context.
Conducted spatial analysis to propose redevelopment strategies for social distancing, directly informing the redevelopment projects of school complexes in Milan and Vimercate, Italy.
Walking Experience Evaluation of Urban Three-Dimensional Commercial Street: A Case Study of Optics Valley Pedestrian Zone
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Role: Masterʼs thesis, independent research supervised by Prof. Hexuan Dong.
Contribution: Addressed the quality of public spaces in complex, multi-level commercial districts. Established an evidence-based assessment model, proposed principles and strategies for optimizing vertical public space design.
Methodology: Integrated Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), Space Syntax, on-site survey, and statistical analysis (e.g. AHP) to correlate spatial configuration with usersʼ behaviour and perception patterns.
Research on Planning and Design of Micro-scale Public Spaces
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Role: Core researcher in the team led by PI Prof. Hexuan Dong.
Contribution: Qian Liu conducted comprehensive surveys, communicated with government officials, formulated detailed design guidelines and construction standards for micro-public spaces.
Impact: The findings and results were officially adopted by the Municipal Bureau of Planning and integrated into the municipal GIS management system, directly transforming research into enforceable urban policy tools.
Identification and Evaluation of Modern (1949~1978) Heritage in Wuchang
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Role: Researcher and surveyor of the team led by Senior Engineer Ping Zheng.
Context: Government commissioned project to develop a hierarchical value evaluation framework specifically for modern architectural heritage; identified and catalogued potential heritage sites.
Impact: Provided the local government with a theoretical foundation and a preliminary protection list, contributing to the feasibility study of preserving the city’s modern collective memory.
Designed the public space on the historic axis and the adaptive reuse of the “Lacuna” courtyard.
Applied morphological analysis to seamlessly integrate contemporary community functions into the historical urban fabric, balancing conservation with modern utility.
NET OF CARE: Care Continuum in Major Chinese Cities in 2040
China
Role: Team leader, 2017 International Student & Young Architect Competition by UIA-PHG (Public Health Group of Union Internationale des Architectes), with theme “smart, green & beyond: healthcare facility of the future”.
Honourable Mention (Global rank 7th)
Applied evidence-based design principles to create adaptable environments for future public health challenges. Proposed a futuristic, modular healthcare system integrating green infrastructure with smart patient monitoring technologies, with the concept of urban micro-regeneration.
Plan and Design of Micro-scale Public Space in Hanyang District
Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
Role: Core member of the design team
Identified available spaces that could be developed into high-quality micro-scale public spaces, and proposed guidelines for designing each type of spaces.
Qian Liu conducted on-site survey, presented and communicated with the government, prepared planning drawings, and visualised the work in ArcGIS system. Additionally, he prepared the design guidelines for the type of ‘public facility entrance space’.
Curriculum development: Led the academic planning and syllabus design for 3 courses in the group of Architectural History and Theory.
Team leadership: Managed a teaching team of over 10 junior lecturers: task allocation, performance evaluation, and maintaining teaching quality consistency.
Distinguished Contribution Award in 2018, recognising excellence in teaching and curriculum development.