On February 13, 2026, the International Association for China Planning (IACP) successfully organized the special session “Urban Issues in China – IACP Special Session” at the annual meeting of the Western Regional Science Association (WRSA) held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The session was chaired by IACP President Associate Professor Zhenhua Chen and focused on several key issues concerning urban and regional development in China.
The session featured four academic presentations covering a range of topics, including population and employment dynamics, the scaling structure of high-speed rail networks, housing policy and expectation-driven demand, and the determinants of regional housing prices in China. Associate Professor John Carruthers (Cornell University) presented research on employment and population dynamics across Chinese prefectural-level cities. Associate Professor Zhenhua Chen (The Ohio State University) introduced an integrated urban scaling–gravity framework to evaluate China’s high-speed rail network, examining the structural alignment between service provision and urban scale. Assistant Professor Jiakai Zhang (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology) analyzed the interaction between housing purchase restrictions and expectation-driven housing demand. Associate Professor Ghislaine Gueye (Louisiana Tech University) offered a regional econometric perspective on the determinants of housing prices in China.
Each paper was assigned a dedicated discussant, including Professor Kingsley Haynes (George Mason University), Professor Roger Vickerman (University of Kent), Professor Ming Zhang (The University of Texas at Austin), and Doctoral Student Bingshun Yuan (Penn State University). The discussions were rigorous and substantive, contributing to a lively and productive academic exchange.
The WRSA conference is well known for its structured and in-depth discussion format. Each presenter is allocated 45 minutes, along with a formal discussion, allowing authors to receive systematic and constructive feedback. This format provides an excellent platform for presenting research on China’s urban issues within the broader international regional science community. Regional science brings together scholars from geography, planning, economics, public policy, and public administration, and its interdisciplinary orientation offers a rich analytical foundation for examining China’s urban and regional transformation.
The IACP special session generated active engagement and intellectual dialogue. The papers complemented one another, addressing both methodological innovation and policy implications. Discussions during the session explored demographic restructuring, infrastructure allocation logic, the effectiveness of housing policies, and regional development trajectories in China. A themed publication on urban and regional issues in China is being considered as a follow-up initiative to further advance international scholarly exchange.
The successful organization of this session strengthens the connection between IACP and the international regional science community and expands the global visibility of research on China’s planning and urban development. IACP will continue to promote collaboration with WRSA and other international academic associations and encourage members to participate in future regional science meetings and related sessions. Through sustained interdisciplinary dialogue, IACP aims to enhance the international impact of research on China’s urban and regional development.
Associate Professor John Carruthers (Cornell University) delivering his presentation
Associate Professor Zhenhua Chen (The Ohio State University) delivering his presentation
Assistant Professor Jiakai Zhang (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology) delivering his presentation
Professor Ming Zhang (The University of Texas at Austin) serving as discussant
Associate Professor Ghislaine Gueye (Louisiana Tech University) delivering her presentation
Group photo of selected participants
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