Jinhua Zhao to Lead MIT Urban Planning Department From July 1

1 articles · Updated · MIT News · Jun 11

Jinhua Zhao — an MIT professor of cities and transportation — was appointed head of MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, with the role taking effect July 1.
Zhao succeeds Christopher Zegras, who has led the department since 2020, as MIT says Zhao’s transportation research has combined academic work with policy impact.
200-plus practitioners, policymakers and researchers join Zhao’s weekly MIT Mobility Forum, part of a broader portfolio that includes the MIT Mobility Initiative and the JTL Urban Mobility Lab.
Global transit systems including Transport for London, Hong Kong’s MTR, Japan Railways and U.S. agencies such as the MBTA have used Zhao’s work, which focuses on closing the gap between fast-moving mobility technology and slower public institutions.
DUSP’s next phase under Zhao is set to emphasize getting research more quickly to city leaders, transport agencies and ministries grappling with AI, aging infrastructure, energy pressures and congestion.

Sources

As AI makes cities 'smarter,' how do we prevent them from becoming less fair?

Can rival tech firms be forced to share data to make autonomous vehicles truly safe?

Will MIT's new planning chief bridge the gap between AI theory and real-world urban crises?

1 total