Chunyang Ren received his Ph.D. from Tongji University, Shanghai, arriving at IURD in March of 2006 as a postdoctoral scholar. His research here includes an international comparative study on TOD cases, focusing on East Asian cities (notably Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore) as well as American cities (the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland) for purposes of developing a suitable framework for advancing TOD practice in a Chinese context. Dr. Ren is also conducting a research program called “Framework for Chinese TODs: From the Technological, Financial and Institutional Perspectives” funded partially by the China Nation Natural Science Foundation and the Volvo Foundation. Ren previously worked with Professor Harrison Fraker on the “Eco-Block” and “Urban Sustainable Initiative” (USI) projects in Qingdao, China and the “Green TOD” project in Jiaxing, China.

Dr. Ren currently is working with Robert Cervero and Harrison Fraker to establish a joint Berkeley-Tongji Sustainable TOD Center which will provide a platform for faculty and students from the respective universities to work together on TOD planning and urban design projects, professional-level training, and collaborative research.

Faculty host: Professor Robert Cervero.