Xiaofan Liang

Xiaofan Liang

Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning

University of Michigan

I am an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. I am also affiliated with UM Center for the Study of Complex Systems. My research is driven by a passion for fostering inclusive networks and enabling participatory/collaborative planning processes through urban analytics. My approaches are largely inspired by the field of network science, complex systems, and critical & participatory approaches in GIS and planning, thus grounding my research in the pursuit of a diverse, equitable, and sustainable network society.

My current work focuses on two themes: 1) examining how network infrastructure (e.g., transportation and social infrastructure) can simultaneously be inclusive and exclusive, offering connectivity and access for certain populations, places, or types of flows, while marginalizing or restricting others, 2) exploring how data, technology, and AI can support, transform, or challenge planning practices and public services. I am currently looking for an interested PhD in participatory AI direction (starting Fall 2025)

Interests
  • Spatial Social Networks
  • Urban Analytics (GIS, Computational Methods, Agent-based Modeling, etc.)
  • Inclusive Social Infrastructure and Transportation Planning
  • Digital Civics, Participatory and Collaborative Planning
Education
  • MCRP/PhD in City and Regional Planning, 2023

    Georgia Institute of Technology

  • BSc in Computational Science, 2019

    Minerva University

  • BA in Sociology, 2015

    University of California - Berkeley