December 18, 2025 Researchers at CCRI published a collaborative article titled “Platform Urbanism and Land-Use Transformation in Shanghai: Dual Neighborhood Impacts of E-Commerce Logistics in Relation to the 2017–2035 Master Plan” in an open-access journal. The full article is available here.

October 24, 2025 Professor Hyejin Yoon, CCRI Board Member and faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM), organized the 2025 AAG West Lakes Division Meeting. The conference features paper sessions, networking events, and keynote lectures, including the Harold and Florence Mayer Lecture and the Keynote Lecture by Dr. Julie Cidell of the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, held at the American Geographical Society Library.

September 12, 2025 Researchers at the Cultural Cities Research Institute (CCRI) have published a collaborative paper titled “Toward a Disciplinary Knowledge–Led Approach for Sustainable Heritage-Based Art Districts in Shanghai” in the open-access journal Sustainability. The study introduces the Evidence-Based Disciplinary Assessment (EBDA) framework, a guiding approach that integrates research evidence, historical narratives, and cultural legacies to broaden heritage recognition in China. The full article is available here

August 20, 2025 CCRI has been invited to support the Inter-University Symposium of Asian Mega Cities and will engage with scholars and students at the organization’s upcoming conference in China later this year. This collaboration highlights CCRI’s ongoing commitment to advancing research and dialogue on urban and cultural development.

July 24, 2025 Dr. Jane Zheng has been invited to join the editorial board of the American Journal of Arts Management. The journal, a leading platform for research and practice in the field, welcomes submissions from scholars and practitioners worldwide: link.

June 16, 2025 Dr. Yongling Zhang-Gorke, CCRI Board Member, recently coordinated a company visit to UDS in Tokyo as part of a Japanese business culture program. The group toured Yuen Bettei Daita, a serene, design-forward property that blends Zen-style lodging, a tea lounge, and an onsen. Operated by UDS, the site exemplifies community-centered hospitality and was a popular staycation spot during the pandemic. Located near Setagaya-Daita Station, the visit also included a scenic walk from Shimo-Kitazawa Station, showcasing local urban revitalization. Dr. Zhang-Gorke’s engagement highlights CCRI’s commitment to global cultural and design practices.

May 3, 2025 Dr. Jane Zheng participated in the 46th Annual Conference of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE), held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She delivered a speech on creative resistance and cultural suppression at the Global Dialogue panel, engaging with colleagues on pressing global issues in arts and culture. During the event, Dr. Zheng was also formally introduced as a newly elected member of AAAE’s Board of Directors. Her involvement reflects CCRI’s growing leadership in advancing international dialogue and scholarship in arts administration.

April 14, 2025 Dr. Jane Zheng was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE). Founded in 1979, AAAE is the leading professional organization for arts management education, representing around 150 programs across the United States and beyond. To read Dr. Zheng’s biography, please visit: AAAE Board of Directors – Jane Zheng.

March 26, 2025 Professor Hyejin Yoon (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, CCRI) and Dr. Jane Zheng hosted two discussion sessions titled “Globalization’s New Trends: Digital Platform Geoeconomy, Geopolitics, and Uneven Development” at the AAG 2025 Annual Conference in Detroit. Eight researchers delivered insightful presentations exploring how digital platforms are reshaping global production, labor geographies, and spatial inequalities: Muhammad Shafaat Nawaz (University of Illinois Chicago), Devika Narayan (University of Bristol), Hyejin Yoon, Cartus Bo-Xiang You (National Taiwan University), Nasha Virata (Rutgers University), María Cervantes-Macias (University of British Columbia), Jane Zheng, and Jungmin Kim (Seoul National University).

March 2, 2025 Dr. Jane Zheng had the honor of co-hosting a Lunar New Year celebration for a local Chicago organization, contributing to local community development. The event brought together local celebrities and garnered media coverage, making it a joyous and memorable occasion.

January 16, 2025 CCRI successfully completed its office renovation! We warmly welcome you to visit our new space!

December 24, 2024 CCRI’s collaborative research paper, titled “Spatial Proximity in Artists’ Social Networks: The Shanghai Art World, 1912–1948,” has been published in the journal Transactions in Planning and Urban Research (Read here). The paper explores the pivotal role of spatial proximity in the development and expansion of artists’ networks and, based on this analysis, offers a reconceptualization of the “art world.”

November 22, 2024 Professor Liqin Tan, a board director, and Dr. Jane Zheng co-organized a seminar titled “Reconstructing Future Art with Strong AI: Illuminating Art History through Big Data” in Shanghai. The seminar received extensive positive feedback and was well received by attendees.

September 23, 2024 Dr. Jane Zheng has published an article titled “Territorializing the Pearl River Delta: State Entrepreneurialism in the Cultural Facility Boom” in Urban Geography. You can access the article here.

September 17, 2024 Members of the CCRI have organized a session for the AAG 2025 conference titled “Globalization’s New Trends: Digital Platform Geoeconomy, Geopolitics, and Uneven Development.” For more information and details on the call for papers, please visit the official announcement here.

July 13, 2024 The Cultural Cities Research Institute (CCRI) participates in the Inter-University Seminar on Asian Megacities, hosted in Seoul, South Korea, from July 11 to 13, 2024. CCRI is involved in hosting sessions, reviewing paper submissions, and delivering presentations. Our contributions have been acknowledged by Kyonggi University, the organizing institution, and the committee of the conference.

July 3, 2024 Professor Hyejin Yoon, Board of Directors Member, recently co-authored an article titled “Reconsidering the Third Place: Social Distancing and Inequality in South Korea during the Era of Coronavirus.” This work is featured in the book Reconfiguring Global Societies in the Pre-vaccination Phase of Covid-19 Pandemic, edited by Jack Fong. You can find more details and check out the publication here.

May 25, 2024 Dr. Jane Zheng receives the Best Paper By Arts Administration Educator Award for her article titled “Cultural Planning Boom: Planning for Spatial Justice in American Cities” at the 45th Association of Arts Administration Educators’ annual conference, held from May 23-26 in Puerto Rico. Dr.Zheng was also invited to join the global dialogue panel to discuss the attention economy and its impact on the arts. The conference was set against the backdrop of the beautiful historical scenery of San Juan, adding an inspiring ambiance to the event.

May 7, 2024 Professor Tan Liqin, Director of the CCRI Board, has been invited to conduct a two-month AI art workshop at Nanjing University. This initiative aims to expand the horizons of Chinese students by exposing them to cutting-edge AI technology in the art world.

April 18, 2024 Professor Hyejin Yoon, Director of the CCRI Board, has published an insightful article titled “Geographic Research on Hate Crimes and Incidents: Approaches for Advancing Inclusive Practices” in the International Journal of Geographical and Environmental Research. You can read the full article from https://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1258&context=ijger Congratulations to Professor Yoon on this achievement!

March 11, 2024 Professor Hyejin Yoon, Director of the CCRI Board, has invited to present her collaborative research about Asian and Asian American women’s identity and perception about the cities by The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

February 21, 2024 Professor John Baldacchino, Director of the CCRI Board, has published an article titled “Migrant Form and Art’s Education” in the International Journal of Art and Design Education. The article is available for access at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jade.12516

February 15, 2024 CCRI’s latest publications on the art scene of Republican Shanghai have been featured by the Association of Arts Administration Education (https://mailchi.mp/26cc011b8974/june-2023-digest-15693836?e=74313528b5) as well as several academic outlets in China.

December 7, 2023 A group of CCRI researchers collectively published a paper titled “Modeling the Creative Milieu of Cosmopolitan Cities: Shanghai, 1912–1948” in one of the premier academic journals in arts management, The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10632921.2023.2279072?src=exp-la&fbclid=IwAR1UpX7VDcok86Zvo57KPbK2jSPwais-fd8IqC2bEYe0T8BY8GzfB1MQMJs). Through in-depth historical data and advanced GIS analyses, the paper delves into the heart of the “creative milieu” within the art world of Republican Shanghai.

October 10, 2023 David Sodaway, the director of CCRI, recently co-authored an article titled “Taming the Noise: Soundscape and Livability in a Technocratic City-State.” This article was published in the journal East Asian Science, Technology, and Society: An International Journal (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/18752160.2021.1936749).

August 3, 2023 Mr. Robert Kull (AICP, NJCP) made a thoughtful donation to CCRI in support of the institution’s research activities. His generous contribution embodies the collaborative spirit of our community, inspiring us all to further our mission. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Kull for his valued support.

June 4, 2023 Dr. Jane Zheng, representing CCRI, attended the Association of Arts Administration Educators’ annual conference in New York.

May 9, 2023 CCRI successfully hosted an engaging online conference session titled “Cultural Planning: The Notion, Origin, Recent Practices, and Trends” at the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit. The session featured insightful presentations from esteemed speakers Danny McNally, Robert Kull, and Jaksa Nikodijevic.

April 28, 2023 The Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit has invited the CCRI to organize a conference session titled “Cultural Planning: The Notion, Origin, Recent Practices, and Trends” on May 9.

April 1, 2023 Dr. Jane Zheng participated in the Arts and Planning Division’s activities at the American Planning Association conference in Philadelphia.

March 24, 2023 A map design project based on CCRI’s collaborative research project received an honorable mention for the David Woodward Digital Map Award at the 50th Annual CaGIS Map Design Competition. The project is available for viewing at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d1b113ee4a054021baffc60c5fc3a695?fbclid=IwAR23MBVWzUagILDylOcGnIt0VoWQi7t-rFajFX28Qnr7b2iNXPFlb0eMQkc

March 24, 2023 Dr. Jane Zheng presented a collaborative paper from CCRI at the American Association of Geographers conference meeting in 2023, titled “Rediscovering the Modernity of Republican Shanghai’s Art World (1912-1948) through Digital Mapping and Spatial Analysis.” The presentation is available for access at: https://aag.secure-platform.com/aag2023/solicitations/39/sessiongallery/5397

March 3, 2023 The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society reports that CCRI’s collaborative research paper titled “Mapping the most influential art districts in Shanghai (1912-1948) through clustering analysis” is the most-read article in that journal over the recent year (https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/vjam20).

March 3, 2023 Dr. David Sodaway, CCRI’s director, co-operated the International Student in Canada event (register: http://bit.ly/3K8gBPL).

February 28, 2023 Dr. Jane Zheng participated in a special event hosted by the American Planning Association (APA) Arts and Planning Division, which marked the end of Black History Month and the start of Women’s History Month. The event featured a conversation on leadership with APA President Angela Brooks, and Dr. Zheng was in attendance. (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/on-leadership-registration-549626717307?fbclid=IwAR0KXorWlYVgLjjICgoEgYKipmx50kGdnpHjsQBl-d8P8i7bACw7ggwB4U8)

January 23, 2023 Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit closed session proposal submission.

January 1, 2023 CCRI submitted the organization’s first annual report to the Secretory Office of Illinois.

November 5, 2022 Two book chapters by Professor John Baldacchino have recently been published. The first chapter, titled “Wilful strangers in a possible democracy,” is included in the book Unleashing Children’s Voices in New Democratic Primary Education (pp. 43-62) by Routledge. The second chapter, titled “John Dewey’s Improbable Mediterraneity,” can be found in Dewey, Education, and the Mediterranean by Brill, 2022 (pp. 60-74).

September 26, 2022 Dr. Jane Zheng has recently published a research paper entitled “Does Public Participation Matter to Planning? Urban Sculpture Reception in the Context of Elite-Led Planning in Shanghai” in the journal Sustainability as part of the Special Issue “Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. ” The paper examines the importance of public participation in urban planning through a case study of the reception of urban sculptures in Shanghai. The full article is available online at: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12179

September 23, 2022 CCRI’s digital map projects, “State Patronage and the Economic Performance of the Art Sector in the U.S.” and “The Concessions and the Shanghai Art World, 1912-1948: Exploring the Dynamics of Artists’ Settlement Patterns in Republican Shanghai,” have been featured in the ArcGIS Online gallery. To view our projects, please visit the “Research” section of our website.

September 14, 2022 Dr. Jane Zheng gave a presentation on urban sculpture planning in Shanghai at the “Art, Planning, and Dialogue” event, hosted by Dr. Danny McNally and Dr. Katie L. Mrtpi at Teesside University.

September 13, 2022 Dr. Yongling Zhang Gorke recently completed training to become a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a measure of intercultural competence along the validated intercultural development continuum. With this certification, she joins hundreds of like-minded intercultural specialists and plans to use the IDI to assess intercultural competence of groups, as well as provide consultation on intercultural development for faculty, students, and community members. The IDI is a cross-culturally valid, reliable, and generalizable tool adapted from the DMIS theory developed by Milton Bennett.

September 5, 2022 Dr. Jane Zheng recently completed a research project on cultural planning in the Global North.

August 5, 2022 Mr. Brian Doudna, a member of CCRI’s board of directors and the executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Council, has been instrumental in leading a successful affordable housing development project. Recently, the Council announced the rebranding of their website and features, now named “Someplace Better,” which can be accessed at http://www.sheboygancountyedc.com/news/press-releases-and-columns/sheboygan-county-economic-development-corporation-announces-someplace-better-rebranding-new-website-and-features/

July 31, 2022 Professor Tan Liqin gave a presentation on “The Flexible Construction of Bio Design Program” at the invitation of the Architecture and Planning School at Tongji University in Shanghai.

July 30, 2022 Professor Tan Liqin, a member of CCRI’s board of directors and faculty at Rutgers University, delivered a keynote speech titled “On The Intelligent Expansion of Invisible-Art” at the International Congress/Exhibition On Art & Design Research held in Turkey.

July 27, 2022 The collaborative research paper ‘Rediscovering Shanghai Modern: Chinese Cosmopolitanism and the Urban Art Scene, 1912-1948’ by CCRI scholars has been ranked as the second most read article in Urban History over the past 30 days.

June 23, 2022 The collaborative research output by CCRI scholars titled “Mapping the Most Influential Art Districts in Shanghai (1912-1948) through Clustering Analysis” has been published in the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society. The full paper is available for access at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10632921.2022.2080137

June 22, 2022 Professor John Baldacchino, member of CCRI’s board of directors, published a paper titled “Separated by a Common Heterodoxy. Illich, Freire and the Perilous Spell of Radical Canonicity” in the journal Espacio, Tiempo y Educación: file:///C:/Users/janez/Downloads/Dialnet-SeparatedByACommonHeterodoxyIllichFreireAndThePeri-8524663.pdf

June 17, 2022 The Hong Kong female calligraphy master, Madam Chik Kwok Wah, also a senior advisor of CCRI, held her solo calligraphy exhibition to celebrate her 80th birthday at the Hong Kong City Hall.

June 2, 2022 CCRI scholars’ collaborative research output “Rediscovering Shanghai Modern: Chinese Cosmopolitanism and the Urban Art Scene, 1912-1948″ comes out in Urban History (FirstView) https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/urban-history/article/rediscovering-shanghai-modern-chinese-cosmopolitanism-and-the-urban-art-scene-19121948/4140AC5CE553F8103775BB8DB4647C50

May 29, 2022 Dr. Yongling Zhang Gorke has published a chapter in the US-China relations annual report by the Carter Center: Finding Firmer Ground- the Role of Higher Education in US-China Relations. Her chapter is entitled “Confucius Institutes and Cultural Programs”, in which she discusses the US-China educational exchange at both K-12 and college level through the Confucius Institutes. 

May 18, 2022 Research paper based on a CCRI’s collaborative research initiative that focuses on the digital technique aspect is accepted by one of the major arts management journals, Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society (https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/vjam20/current).

April 18, 2022 The 2022 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit was held from April 18^th to 22^nd (https://www.cpcommunities.org/). CCRI scholars participated in this event.

April 14, 2022 CCRI’s digital map design project titled “The Chicago Network of Art in the Surreal Era of Covid-19” is selected as an honorable mention for the David Woodward Digital Map Award in the 49th Annual CaGIS Map Design Competition.

March 28, 2022 Dr. Jane Zheng delivered a talk titled “The Regional Infrastructured State in Territorializing the Greater Bay Area in China Through the Cultural Facility Boom” at the invitation of the Department of Geography and Resource Management and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at cuhk.

March 10, 2022 Article titled “Rediscovering Shanghai Modern: Chinese Cosmopolitanism and the Urban Art Scene, 1912-1948,” one of the outputs of CCRI collectively conducted research project “Formation and Transformation of the Modern Urban Art Scene: A Historical GIS Approach to the “Creative Milieu” of Republican Shanghai, 1912–1948,” is accepted for publication by the leading urban history journal, Urban History (Cambridge University Press). Team members include Jane Zheng, Sabrina P.Y. Zhang, Zhen Fan, Andrew Young, Steve Stofka. We also engaged Architecture Department at Tianjin University. Seven students led by Professor Jie He contributed to mapping 1,374 artists’ residences in Republican Shanghai.

March 4, 2022 Dr. Yongling Zhang-Gorke organized a virtual Chinese winter camp in collaboration with Xidian University in Xi’an China. This virtual camp is open to Chines learners of all ages enrolled in US universities and schools. During the 5 week period (Jan. 24 – Mar. 4), students benefitted from a wide variety of activities such as virtual field trips, live Chinese language classes and recorded lecture on Chinese history and culture.

February 1, 2022 CCRI researcher, Nick DeMarsh, recently published a paper titled “Community mobilization in Milwaukee: Creating critical mass to address the free-rider problem” in E.Polis.

February 1, 2022 Dr. Jane Zheng’s paper titled “Rethinking the growth machine logic in cultural development: Urban sculpture planning in Shanghai” is formally accepted by China Information. (online first link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0920203X221081328) Dr. Zheng will present this paper at the 2022 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit (https://www.cpcommunities.org/) in April.

January 18, 2022 CCRI filed with the state secretary of Illinois.

December 30, 2021 The recently completed geo-visualization project of Republican Shanghai art world is selected to be featured by ESRI’s ArcGIS Online Gallery to demonstrate the company’s storymap platform.

December 24, 2021 CCRI researchers met to discuss publication and visualization of the “Formation and Transformation of the Modern Urban Art Scene: A Historical GIS Approach to the ‘Creative Milieu’ of Republican Shanghai, 1912–1948” research project.

December 20, 2021 Dr. Jane Zheng completed a follow-up geo-visualization project for the Republican Shanghai art world research project of CCRI.

December 10, 2021 Prof. Liqin Tan gave a talk on art and technology on the “across the divide” forum.

November 20, 2021 Dr. Jane Zheng completed a digital slippy mapping project titled “The Chicago Network of Art in the Surreal Era of Covid-19.”

November 18, 2021 Prof. Yongling Zhang-Gorke spoke as a higher education professional panelist on the 3rd China-US-Canada Trilateral roundtable discussion on US-China educational exchange, mutual benefits, challenges and benefits.

October 20, 2021 Prof. Yongling Zhang-Gorke organized the annual China Town Hall program forum in Charlotte North Carolina.

October 20, 2021 Dr. Jane Zheng published an article titled “Structuring Artistic Creativity for The Production of a ‘Creative City’: Urban Sculpture Planning in Shanghai” in the recent issue (issue 45, no.5, 2021) of International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

October 4, 2021 A research project titled “State Patronage and The Economic Performance of the Art Sector in the U.S., 2010-2019,” funded by the Wallstreet to Mainstreet Foundation, was recently completed.

August 21, 2021 A four-year research project titled “Formation and Transformation of the Modern Urban Art Scene: A Historical GIS Approach to the “Creative Milieu” of Republican Shanghai, 1912–1948,” funded by the Hong Kong University Research Council, was completed. Team members: Jane Zheng, Sabrina P.Y. Zhang, Zhen Fan, Hui Lin and Yeunsang Leung

May 4, 2021 Prof. John Baldacchino published an article titled “Formative Autonomy: Lessons from Elio Petri” in Educational Theory 71, no. 1 (2021): 95-111.

May 2, 2021 A five-year research project titled “The Cultural Elite State in Public Art Planning in Shanghai,” led by Jane Zheng, was completed. This project was funded by the Hong Kong University Research Council.