Qi Song
Degree: Ph.D. in Planning, Policy, and Design
Graduation Date: Spring 2023
Hometown: Taiyuan, China
Can you tell us a bit about your background and path to your graduate program?
I finished my undergraduate studies in China, majoring in Urban Planning and Urban Design. I was involved in several urban design and master planning projects. However, I did not get a chance to see these projects become a reality. I realized that our planning and design were highly influenced by the policy environment to support the implementation of these projects. That's why I decided to come to the U.S. with a different political system to study urban planning and design from a more policy-oriented perspective. I finished my master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA and learned a lot about the urban planning system in the U.S. and the changes in public policies that cover different aspects of planning, including land use, housing, transportation, and their impacts on our built environment. Then, I decided to join the Ph.D. program at UCI to continue my studies and conduct research that could impact real-world planning issues.
Why did you choose your field of study and your program specifically?
I chose the field of urban planning given that it has been my expertise and interest since my undergraduate studies, and I wanted to dive deeper into the theories and empirical research that I was less exposed to in my undergraduate and master's programs. The key factors for me to choose this program are my advisor, Professor Garde, and the design of the program. I had some email exchanges with him before I visited UCI. He shared a similar background with me, understood my concerns, and answered all my questions. Through our interactions, I could tell that he is very active in conducting research and responsive to students' requests. I felt that he would give me the guidance to do the types of research that I have wanted to do. Additionally, the program is well-designed to help students lay the theoretical and methodological foundation in their first two years and support them to focus more on their dissertation starting from the third year.
Have you conducted any research? If yes, can you tell us a bit about it?
Yes, my research interest is in the interrelationship between public transit, urban development, and social equity, focusing on transit-oriented development (TOD) that encourages higher-density, mixed-use, and pedestrian-friendly developments near high-quality transit stations.
In my dissertation, I focus on TOD projects already implemented near transit stations, as well as TOD plans and policies adopted by local governments in the Southern California region to examine the extent to which they contribute to equitable development outcomes. Specifically, I examine (1) the impact of TODs over time to evaluate the extent to which they improve location affordability for households living near transit stations, and (2) the extent to which local governments in the Los Angeles region promote equitable development in TODs through development regulations, policies, and programs. I believe this research could help regional and local governments to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing regulations, policies, and programs in facilitating equitable development outcomes near transit stations.
I am also involved in several research projects with my advisor and have published a journal article with him in the Journal of the American Planning Association. In this research, my advisor and I examine land use characteristics of 180 cities in the Southern California region to study how they contribute to region-wide housing inequities. We studied land use characteristics of cities in 2016, changes in cities' land use characteristics over time, and the correlations between land use characteristics and socioeconomic characteristics of cities in Southern California. This research concluded that most cities in the Southern California region cannot equitably address the region's housing needs, especially for low-income residents, unless they rezone to allow for multifamily housing. The state government should mandate that cities enact land use reforms aimed at correcting inequitable distributions of multifamily housing to address the housing crisis by requiring municipalities to allocate land uses based on population projections for all income groups as well as the existing land use portfolios of cities.
How do you envision your degree from UCI opening doors for you and benefitting your career?
The degree and academic training I got from UCI lay the foundation for my future academic career as an urban scholar, one that engages with policymakers and disadvantaged populations. The training and support from my advisor and the school advance my future research on equitable development in the areas of housing, land-use policy, as well as transportation planning.
Do you have a job lined up or are you currently working?
No, I plan to graduate next year and will look for an academic job from this summer.
How did your experience at UCI shape your career path?
My experience as a doctoral student researcher and a teaching assistant helped me finalize my future career goal of becoming a faculty at a research university. By finishing well-designed courses that focus both on theory and research methods, joining research projects and collaborating with my advisor, and focusing on my dissertation research, I learned about how to do meaningful research step by step and became confident in proposing and conducting research by myself. I would like to make the best use of the knowledge that I learned from this experience and continue to contribute to the field as an urban scholar. Moreover, the experience of being a teaching assistant helped me understand how to design a course, how to teach and interact with students, and how to improve the teaching based on students' feedback and evaluations. I enjoy mentoring students and learning from their innovative ideas, and hence I will continue teaching and sharing my knowledge in my future career apart from doing research.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone enrolling in the program?
I think prioritizing the most important things for you at different stages of the program is critical for time management and individual professional development. You may prioritize taking courses during the first year and learning related theories and research methods. During the second year, collaborating with the advisor or other scholars to conduct research and learning by doing it might be your priority. Starting from the third year, you may prioritize your dissertation research and publications based on that. According to your strengths and weaknesses at different stages, you could change your priority accordingly to make the best use of the time.
Where will you go from here?
I will continue working on my dissertation research and searching for an academic job in my field. I plan to finish my dissertation and graduate in Spring 2023. Hopefully, I could continue doing my research and make my academic contribution as an urban scholar as well as inspire more students to find their research interests or career goals.