Profile

  • Innovative Urban Designer, Researcher, and emerging academic with a robust blend of industry experience and scholarly expertise.

  • PhD research specialises in an AI-driven taxonomy for urban screens and augmented public spaces, employing data-driven (machine learning) clustering methodologies and creating an Augmented Public Spaces Index (APSI) to assess the quality of spaces.

  • Interdisciplinary approach combining urban design, digital technologies, and social sciences to address urban challenges.

  • An urban designer with five years of experience in China's highly competitive construction industry.

  • International experience through education in the UK and professional experience in China, offering diverse perspectives on urban planning.

  • Bilingual in Mandarin (native) and English.

  • Continuing involvement in voluntary activities; keen independent traveller and photographer.

Education

PhD in Architecture

April 2020 - March 2025
University of Liverpool, Centre for Architecture and the Visual Arts.
            

Supervisors: Prof. Richard Koeck; Dr. Francesca Piazzoni

Research focuses on the evolution of urban screens using machine learning, empirical studies, and qualitative analysis, as well as the development of an augmented public space index for comparative typological assessments of augmented public spaces.

Specialization: Urban Screen, Augmented Public Spaces, VR-Based Data Visualisation.

This research contributes to the development of AI-driven urban design strategies, supporting interdisciplinary innovations in urban planning and smart city governance.

MA in Urban Design

September 2018 - September 2019
University of Sheffield

Conducted fieldwork in Milan under the supervision of Beatrice de Carli as part of the Inclusive Design Group, focusing on social housing for immigrant communities to promote inclusive urban design.

Completed the thesis 'Careful Urban Regeneration' (fieldwork in Germany) under the supervision of Dr. Florian Kossak.

BA in Landscape Architecture

September 2009 - September 2013
Soochow University

Key modules: Landscape Architecture Design, Psychology of Environment & Behaviour, Urban Landscape Ecology, Project Management, CAD, History of Chinese Landscapes.

Research experience

Shanghai Urban Master Plan (2017-2035)

Sep 2014 – Oct 2015
Special Research Project on Urban Design

Research on the System and Measures for Overall Urban Design of Shanghai

This research integrates welfare economics by applying Pareto Efficiency and Rawlsian principles to classify Shanghai's urban design policies into five types. I was responsible for the Quality Improvement Area, which targets underdeveloped suburban regions and historically constrained, aging inner-city neighborhoods, aiming to respect the city's heritage while enhancing its spatial quality.

Infrastructure research

Sep 2016 - Dec 2017

Research on Demand of Industrial Community Facilities in 104 Industrial Area in Shanghai

Conducted a study on the demand for industrial community facilities in Shanghai's 104 Industrial Area. The project involved analyzing existing facility issues and developing tailored solutions by leveraging GIS technology and principles of spatial equity.

Publications

Ran, Wuwu
ASCAAD 2024 Conference on Mixed Realities Session. Arab Society for Computation in Architecture, Art and Design, Barcelona, 2024, 553-564.
Ran, Wuwu; Yin, Lu; Yu, Jie
ACADIA 2023: Habits of the Anthropocene: Scarcity and Abundance in a Post-Material Economy [Volume 2: Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference for the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture ISBN 979-8-9891764-0-3]. Denver. 26-28 October 2023, edited by A. Crawford, N. Diniz, R. Beckett, J. Vanucchi, M. Swackhamer 596-605.
Hong He, Qi Gao, Xinwen Shen, Mengya Wang, Wuwu Ran, Hua Zhang, Yiwen Zhu, Zhihua He, Yiqian Kong
Collection of Shanghai Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone Planning and Construction Series, China Architecture & Building Press, 2015. ISBN 978-7-112-18439-2
Ran, Wuwu; Wang Li
The Annual National Planning Conference (ANPC), China, 2015. ISBN 978-89475-444-8 (26482)

Awards

Second Prize of Shandong Province Excellent Urban and Rural Planning in 2017 (China)
- Project Name: Urban Design for Industrial Upgrading and Urban Renewal in Zhuzhou Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao
Second Prize of Xinjiang Province Excellent Urban and Rural Planning in 2017
Third Prize of China Annual Excellent Urban and Rural Planning in 2019 (National Awards)

- Project Name: Preservation planning of Mountain, Water and Cultural Heritage Buildings, Urumqi

Certificate

Engineering Series Intermediate Professional Technical Position Qualifications
- Issues by Shanghai Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Management Committee

Work Experience

Urban Designer/Urban Planner/Researcher

Jul 2013 – Jul 2018
Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Research Institute

The Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Research Institute (SUPDRI) is affiliated with the Shanghai Planning and Natural Resources Bureau. Founded in 1957, it is one of China's earliest and most technically advanced Class A institutions for urban planning and design, land use planning, and engineering consulting.

  • Develop conceptual urban plans by receiving client briefings, conducting research and site visits, analysing the site, and discussing details within the team before the initial plan.
  • Contributed to major urban planning and design projects focusing on industrial upgrading, urban renewal, and cultural heritage preservation.
  • Integrated digital design strategies by employing GIS, API-based methodologies, and other data-driven tools to enhance urban planning processes.
  • Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to incorporate emerging digital technologies into planning practices and participated in research projects that informed strategic urban design decisions.
  • Awarded several accolades for involvement in various high-profile and prestigious projects across China.

Intern – Design Assistant

Jan – Feb 2013
Guiyang Urban and Rural Planning & Design Institute
  • Involved in the landscape design for Guiyang Huaxia District Ten-Mile River Band Wetland Park.
  • Compiling a plan of the population density of the Exhibition Area of Guanshanhu District to comply with government regulations.

Intern

Jul – Sep 2012
Shanghai Ruyifang Engineering Design Co., Ltd
  • Producing analytical graphs, general rendering and the text and layout of the final plan for the Fushui River Ecological Tourism project.

Skills & Proficiency

Adobe Creative Suite

Rhino & Grasshopper

Blender

Unity

Python

AI Tools (Stable Diffusion & MidJourney)