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Chia-Lin Chen

Dr Chia-Lin Chen

Senior Lecturer in Transport, Territorial Development, and Strategic Planning
Geography and Planning
Part of
School of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science and Engineering

Contact

Chia-Lin.Chen@liverpool.ac.uk

+44 (0)151 795 1708

Research

Transport and Territorial Transformation: Impacts and Processes

Chia-Lin is interested in understanding the process of territorial transformation and the role of strategic planning policy and integrated intervention in facilitating a more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable transition in the increasingly enlarged and connected territorial development. With a holistic view of the intersections between economic restructuring, spatial reconfiguration, travel behaviours, and e- & hard infrastructure, her research has focused on the ex-post effects of transport improvement and investigate to what extent and how the opportunities of transport have been perceived and integrated in strategic planning. In return, the lessons from the developmental process could be insightful to explain any impacts from future planning practice.

To exploit the opportunity of transport connectivity for wider development impacts, her research explores a number of issues, including space-time relationship, the mechanism of agglomeration economies, the relationship between transport and land use planning, the power relation between central and local states, the financial capacity and leadership, political ideology of transport investment, planning silo in the decision-making process, etc. In the past decade, her research subjects have mainly focused on rail-based transport and their integration at multiple levels, in particular high-speed rail, Metro, and tram systems.

Relevant Projects:
- Jan 2024- Dec 2027, "Connectivity Spatial Patterns and Influence Mechanisms of Cross-border Railway Transportation under Boundary Constraints", funded by National Natural Science Foundation China, Role: Co-I with PI: Dr Jie Huang, Associate Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- Oct 2023- Sep 2024, "Understanding the long-term evolution of metro impacts on urban development for sustainability, vibrancy, and inclusiveness", funded by ESRC UK and NSTC Taiwan for International Research Collaboration (Duration: Oct 2023-Sep 2024), Role: PI in the UK, in partnership with Co-I, Dr Taku Fujiyama (University College London) & Professor Jenjia Lin, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
- 2019-2020: Impacts of High-Speed Rail: Hubs, Linkages and Development (Special Issue on Built Environment, Vol.46, No,3) https://www.alexandrinepress.co.uk/built-environment/impacts-hsr-hubs-linkages-and-development
- 2017-2020: Handbook on Transport and Urban Transformation in China (Book Project: Lead-editor). https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-on-transport-and-urban-transformation-in-china-9781786439239.html
- 2020: HSR and wider economic impacts (CI:contribution to Policy Brief for T20, Task force 3: Infrastructure investment and financing)
- 2018-2020: Impacts of high-speed rail on new firm formation - Evidence from Suzhou in China (PI: 2018/2020)
- 2018: Empirical Study in the Nodal Transport Function and Place Urban Function of China’s High-speed Rail New Towns in the Context of New Type Urbanisation (CI)
- 2016-2018: The Impact of Inter-City High-Speed Rail Network on Spatial-Economic Development in Yangtze River Delta Area: A Case Study of Suzhou Region (PI)
- 2014-2015: Developing a new framework and appraisal tool (participatory MCA) to assist decision-making of transport investment (Research Associate for the SINTROPHER project funded by the EU INTERREG 4B Programme).
- 2013-2014: Wider impacts of rail-based transport investment on urban and economic development- Literature Review (Research Associate for the SINTROPHER project funded by the EU INTERREG 4B Programme)
- 2008-2013: The Spatial-Economic Impact of High-Speed Trains: Nationally (The UK IC125) and Regionally (A British-French Comparison) (PhD Thesis)

Integrated Spatial Planning and Design

Chia-Lin is concerned about disintegrated planning and design policy and practice and identifying key factors/causes and seeking guidance and policy implications for potential solutions and gains insight into the complexity of these issues.

interested in addressing developmental issues at small and medium-size villages, towns and cities such as poverty, decline, polarisation, peripheralisation, segregation, displacement, and social exclusion.

Relevant projects:
- Jul 2021- Jun 2023: ‘Examining intra-regional inequalities and developing pathways towards resilient and inclusive revitalisation: Theory and Practice’, funded by the ESRC-MOST UK-Taiwan research network fund for International Research Collaboration. Role: PI in the UK, in partnership with Co-I, Dr Olivier Sykes & Dr Chanyuan Wong, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.
- August 2021-July 2022: “Re-thinking Marginalised Railway Heritage in England’s Cities - Using Liverpool as A Pilot Study”, funded by Early Career Research and Return Fund project (ECRRF), UoL. Role: PI, in partnership with Co-I, Dr Junjie Xi, School of Architecture.
- 2017-2018: Modern Tram and Public Transport Transit Integration in Chinese Cities – A case study of Suzhou (PI), https://www.itf-oecd.org/public-transport-integration-chinese-cities
- 2013-2015: Improving Interchanges- Developing Multi-modal Passenger Rail Hubs- An Illustrated Guide for the People’s Republic of China (Asian Development Bank)

Mobility Studies: Behaviour Changes, Social Justice and Well-being

The third research theme aims to explore the social dimensions of transport provision role of social With the possibility brought about by technological breakthrough in both e- and physical forms, conventional life styles and working patterns have faced dramatic challenges while the effects of these technological breakthrough do not seem to benefit all equally- in particular a serious discretion between the range of possibility, mobility potential, and travel patterns. Her research intends to understand a new mobility paradigm and ensure social justice and spatial justice in the digital age could be taken proper care through interdisciplinary approaches.

Relevant projects:
- 2018-2023: High mobility in China? Exploring the impacts of high-speed rail on work-related life and well-being - A case of Suzhou and its neighbouring cities (PI: 2018)
- 2018-2021: HSR and social exclusion: an worldwide analysis review (International Research Collaboration)

Research grants

Understanding the long-term evolution of metro impacts on urban development for sustainability, vibrancy, and inclusiveness

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

October 2023 - September 2024

Examining intra-regional inequalities and developing pathways towards resilient and inclusive revitalisation: Theory and Practice

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

July 2021 - June 2023

    Research collaborations

    Dr Jie Huang

    Connectivity Spatial Patterns and Influence Mechanisms of Cross-border Railway Transportation under Boundary Constraints [January 2024-December 2027]

    Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

    - National Natural Science Foundation China (NSFC) Fund - As the Co-Investigator, I'll be leading the analysis of the development impacts and mechanism of the cross-border China-Laos Railway. This project marks a significant expansion of my research expertise, delving into cross-border railways, development dynamics, and global geopolitics. One highlight is our focus on generating new insights beyond EU territory, offering policy recommendations that address key challenges, from political uncertainties to economic and operational risks. Additionally, the project involves collecting extensive databases and advancing cross-border connectivity models.

    Professor Jen-Jia Lin (NTU, Taiwan), Dr Taku Fujiyama (UCL, UK), Dr Zi Ye ( UoL, UK)

    Understanding the long-term evolution of metro impacts on urban development for sustainability, vibrancy, and inclusiveness [October 2023-September 2024]

    Department of Geography at National Taiwan University (NTU); Department of Civil, Environment & Geomatic Engineering at University College London (UCL)

    This project will collect data through open data platforms in Taiwan and the UK to explore three components, namely i) the evolution of transit-induced gentrification in Greater London, ii) the long-term impact of metro systems on urban form in Greater Taipei Metropolitan Area, and iii) recommendations on urban development policies. This project is expected to establish a close partnership between the Taiwan and the UK teams through implementation of this collaborative research.

    Dr Chanyuan Wong, Dr Ker-Hsuan Chien, Dr Olivier Sykes

    Examining intra-regional inequalities and developing pathways towards resilient and inclusive revitalisation: Theory and Practice [July 2021- June 2023]

    National Tsing-Hua University (NTHU), Taiwan

    This research aims to examine intra-regional inequalities, gain a deeper understanding of 'left-behind' places, evaluate different revitalisation approaches and developing pathways that consider the interaction of key dimensions over the possible transition process.

    Professor Roger Vickerman; Dr Anupriya Anupriya; Dr Po-Chen Lin; Dr Zhenhua Chen

    Impacts of high-speed rail on new firm formation – Evidence from Suzhou, China [2018-2023]

    University of Kent, UK; Imperial College London, UK; The Ohio State University, USA;

    Drawing on registration data of new firms at the Suzhou urban districts during a period from 2005 to 2015 that covers the time periods before and after HSR to explore whether and how new firms respond to the improved accessibility and thus identify the impacts of HSR on the spatial patterns of economic activities, both manufacturing and knowledge-based activities.

    Professor Lan Wang

    Investigating high-speed rail and health in China [2018 - 2020]

    College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, China

    This research investigates the phenomenon of long-distance commuting facilitated by high-speed rail in China and its relationship with physical and mental health. A survey conducted with Suzhou-based commuters is used as a pilot study to explore this relationship.

    Dr Hyunchul Chung; Professor Roger Vickerman

    High mobility in China? [2018- 2020]

    Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University; University of Kent

    Exploring the impact of high-speed rail on work-related long distance commuting: A case study of Suzhou-based commuters

    Dr Frédéric Dobruszkes; Dr Amparo Moyano; Dr Francesca Pagliara; Dr Peter Endemann

    Is high-speed rail socially exclusive or inclusive? [2018- 2021]

    Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium; University of Castilla la Mancha, Spain; University of Naples Federico II, Italy; Metropolregion FrankfurtRheinMain, Germany

    The extent to which HSR could be socially egalitarian has been disregarded. In this context, this research aims at filling the gap to assess the social attributes of HSR passengers based on available evidence collected worldwide at both national (or international) levels and route levels. Subject to data availability, factors of social exclusion are also reviewed.

    Professor Haixiao Pan; Professor Qing Shen; Professor James Jixian Wang

    Handbook of Transport and Urban Transformation in Contemporary China [2016-2020]

    Tongji University, China; University of Washington, USA; City University of Hong Kong

    Co-editors for this handbook, which is consisted of 25 chapters authored by leading and emerging international and domestic scholars in four main themes. (1) Transport Planning, territorial restructuring and development; (2) Transport, environment and technology; (3) Travel, people and social equity; (4) Reform, governance and development models.