News/Events - Program on Chinese Cities

As a leading platform for research and international exchange, the Program on Chinese Cities (PCC) regularly hosts a wide range of academic and cultural activities. These events are designed to deepen understanding of urban and rural development, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and create meaningful opportunities for scholars, students, and practitioners.

PCC activities include:

Conferences and Seminars: Academic gatherings featuring leading scholars from around the world to share cutting-edge research, exchange ideas, and spark new collaborations.
Site Visits: Excursions to urban renewal cases, real estate development communities, the renowned Research Triangle Park, and other planning projects, offering first-hand insights into spatial development and implementation.
Cultural Events: Social and cultural programs such as academic salons, alumni dialogues, and community events to promote cross-cultural understanding and build networks.
Special Programs and Collaborations: Thematic initiatives focused on pressing global issues such as sustainable development, climate resilience, and low-carbon transformation, often in partnership with international institutions.

PCC will continue to host dynamic events for both the academic community and the broader public. Please check back periodically for updates on our upcoming news and events.

PCC Distinguished Visiting Scholar Interview Series – Yu Wang

As the Director of Planning and Urban Design at Beijing Yirui Alliance Design Consulting Co., Ltd., Yu Wang has long been engaged in China’s urban renewal and planning design projects—from industrial new towns in Hainan to the renewal of Beijing’s old city and headquarters bases in Shenzhen. She has personally witnessed the high speed and complexity of China’s urbanization process.
In 2023, with the support of Professor Yan Song, she joined the Program on Chinese Cities (PCC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, embarking on a five-year visiting research journey. Her goal is to reexamine the differences and commonalities between urban renewal in China and abroad through systematic learning and comparative studies.
2025 Fall Welcome Gathering and Academic Exchange

On August 28, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., the Center held its Fall Welcome Gathering and Academic Exchange to mark the beginning of the new semester. The event combined a community dinner with scholarly exchange, aiming to foster connections … Read more
Sino-American Academic Dialogue: Seminar on Urban-Rural Environment and Green Spaces Successfully Held

On February 26, 2025, a trans-Pacific academic dialogue was successfully held in the Reading Room of New East Building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill). Scholars from Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) and the Department of … Read more
Academic Seminar: Urban and Rural Environmental Exchange Seminar between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (PCC) and Huazhong Agricultural University, China

Hosted by the Program on Chinese Cities （PCC） 2/ 26/2025, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM EST Reading Room, New East Building This seminar will be co-chaired by Professor Shao Jizhong from Huazhong Agricultural University and Professor Song Yan from the … Read more
Professor Yan Song and Student Team Attend ACSP Annual Meeting to Explore Anti-Racism and Diversity in Urban Planning

From November 7 to 9, 2024, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Annual Meeting was held successfully at the Sheraton Grand Seattle in Washington State. This year’s theme, “Advancing Anti-Racism in Planning to Build Just, Equitable, Diverse, and … Read more
PCC-Exceptional Articles Reading Group：First session

Hosted by The Program on Chinese Cites (PCC) Date: May 2, 2024, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM EST Topics: “Integration as Adaptation: Advancing Research and Practice for Inclusive Climate Receiving Communities”, “Is Housing Assistance Associated With Mental Health?”, … Read more
Academic Visit：Visiting UNC-Charlotte and the Great Smoky Mountains on a field trip focused on ecological resources

This month, a group of visiting scholars from the “The program on Chinese Cites” organized a field trip to the UNC-Charlotte and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This activity aimed to deepen the scholars’ understanding and application of ecological … Read more
Academic Salon : “Activating the Natural Resource Economy in the Okefenokee Region of Southeast Georgia ”

(PCC) The program on Chinese Cities – Academic Salon Date: 04/19/2024, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EST Speaker: Lance Gloss Program Manager at the Conservation Fund & Expert in Natural Resource Economics On April 19, 2024, scholars and experts gathered … Read more
Academic Visit：PCC Visiting Scholars Tour Briar Chapel Real Estate Project in Chapel Hill, Delving Deeply into the American Real Estate Development Process

Hosted by the Program on Chinese Cities （PCC） 12/15/2023 10:00 AM Address：1600 Briar Chapel Pkwy, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 On December 15, 2023, the China Urban Research Center (PCC) organized a comprehensive tour for its … Read more
“Making Historical Strides” – Professor Yan Song Named Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Planning Association

Professor Yan Song, the Chair of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) and a tenured professor, who is also the Director of the Program on Chiese Cities, has recently been appointed … Read more
Cultural Experience Activity: Visiting Historic Hillsborough Town, Experiencing American Halloween Celebrations

Hosted by the Program on Chinese Cities （PCC） 10/26/2023 4:00 PM-700 PM Address：228 S Churton St Suite 200, Hillsborough, NC 27278 . On October 26, 2023, the China Urban Research Center (PCC) organized a special cultural trip, leading its … Read more
Academic Visit：”Exploring Advanced Urban Planning Concepts” – Scholars from the Program On Chinese Cites (PCC) Visit the Headquarters of Research Triangle Park (RTP)

Hosted by the Program on Chinese Cities （PCC） 10/24/2023 2:00 PM-4:30 PM Address：300 Park Offices Dr.Durham, NC 27709 On … Read more
Academic Visit：Visiting the Iconic American Tobacco Campus – ‘A Perfect Blend of Heritage and Innovation’

Hosted by the Program on Chinese Cities （PCC） 10/05/2023 3:00 PM-4:30 PM Address：300 Blackwell St #104, Durham, NC 27701 On October 5, 2023, visiting scholars and doctoral students from the China Urban … Read more
Scholars from Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design Undertake Comparative Study of American Cities

Five UNC Program on Chinese Cities visiting scholars from the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design undertook a comparative study of various American cities during a three-month stay at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The … Read more
UNC and Program on Chinese Cities Scholars: A Learning Partnership

“The challenges facing China’s cities and metropolitan regions are daunting in scale and complexity; without exaggeration, the lives of millions will depend on how well China manages the continued growth of its cities in coming years,” says Yan Song, professor … Read more
Inaugural Sustainable Development in China Forum Held at UNC

On July 23, 2018, the UNC Program on Chinese Cities (PCC) held its first International Forum of Urban-Rural Sustainability on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A program of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS), … Read more
EVENT: Current Relations in Sino-US Economic and Trade Frictions

The UNC Program on Chinese Cities presents: A Seminar by Dr. Jiang Pan Economic Counselor and Chief of the Economic Section of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the US Reading Room, New East 211 | Thursday, … Read more
Urban Planning Helps to Control Air Quality for Chinese Cities

What is the relationship between urban planning and air quality in China? Rapid growth and greatly expanded motor vehicle ownership and usage have contributed to serious air pollution across China. In 2013, 96 percent of key cities did not meet … Read more
Beijing’s Big Plan – BBC interview with Yan Song

On October 5, 2017, Ed Butler of the BBC reported on Xiong’an, a small rural town in China that is set to become a city of 5 million. Listen here for this BBC report featuring an interview with PCC Director … Read more
Yan Song discusses Beijing’s Urban Master Plan on CGTN

Yan Song is the director of the Program on Chinese Cities at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Faculty Fellow of the Center for Urban and Regional Studies. In an interview on October 3, 2017 with … Read more
Post-Disaster Recovery Plans after China’s Wenchuan Earthquake

At 2:28 pm on May 12, 2008, the Wènchuān dà dìzhèn (literally “Great Wenchuan earthquake”) registered 8.0 on the Richter magnitude scale. As the 21st deadliest earthquake of all time, the Wenchuan (also known as Sichuan) earthquake took more than … Read more
Mind the Gap: Broken Intercity Highways in China

The UNC Center for Urban and Regional Studies and the Program on Chinese Cities presents: A Brown Bag Lunch Seminar by Xingjian Liu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong Reading Room, New … Read more
Practice of Urban Revival in Shanghai, China

The Center for Urban and Regional Studies, the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Program on Chinese Cities presents: A Brown Bag Lunch Seminar by Gu Xiaokun, Ph.D. Visiting Scholar at the Center for Urban & Regional Studies … Read more
It’s not technical, it’s organizational: Understanding BRT shortcomings in China

When: Monday, August 29, 12:30pm – 2:00pm Where: 211 New East Chapin Reading Room, UNC-Chapel Hill Alainna Thomas Lecturer – Department of Urban Planning and Design Xi’an-Jiaotong Liverpool University In parallel with China’s rapid urbanization has come greater demand for … Read more
Professor Zhendong Luo to Give Talk on New Urbanization in China

Zhendong Luo, an associate professor at Nanjing University and a visiting scholar at CURS’ Program on Chinese Cities, will give a talk entitled “New Urbanization in China from the Bottom Up: The Characteristic Mechanisms & Trends of Rural Urbanization Driven … Read more