University of Cambridge - Cambridge , United Kingdom
MSc Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences (Urbanism Track)
Delf University of Technology - Delft, Netherland
Bachelor of Architecture
Tongji University - Shanghai, China
Certificates
Machine Learning Specialization
Stanford Online & DeepLearning.AI
Publications and Conference Presentation
Transit-Induced Genetrification? The Impact from Dockland Light Railway and London Overground Improvement on Surrounding Neighbourhoods in East London
Panel Speaker at Big Data and Other Data session at “Gentrification & Displacement:What Can We Do About It? An International Dialogue”, International Conference on Gentrification, Boston, MA
USA， 2023
Regional Urbanisation Through Accessibility?—The “Zweite Stammstrecke” Express Rail Project In Munich.
Wenner, F., Dang, K. A., Hölzl, M., Pedrazzoli, A., Schmidkunz, M., Wang, J., & Thierstein, A. Urban Science, 4(1), 2.(2020)
Jiaqi Wang is a London-based Urban Designer on the International Masterplanning Team at Broadway Malyan, where she contributes to large-scale projects across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt. Her expertise spans urban planning, spatial analysis, and data visualization, working on diverse project stages throughout the Middle East. Proficient in tools like QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and SketchUp, Jiaqi excels at creating impactful spatial data visualizations, compelling design presentations, and CGI-ready 3D models. Her analytical visualizations in Excel have received positive client feedback for effectively communicating complex data.
Jiaqi is also skilled in computational design, particularly in Python and Grasshopper, where she has expanded her expertise in Grasshopper C# and Python development. She developed a custom plugin that optimizes workflows, significantly enhancing collaboration between master planning and architecture teams. Beyond her current role, Jiaqi has launched an independent project to explore machine learning in urban design, focusing on scenario generation to inform future design strategies. Her educational background provides a solid foundation in urban regeneration, transit-oriented development, and nature-based solutions in the built environment. Jiaqi earned her MPhil in Planning, Growth, and Regeneration from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Architecture, Urbanism, and Building Sciences from Delft University of Technology (graduating Cum Laude), and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Tongji University. Her master's thesis on gentrification in East London was presented at the 2023 International Gentrification Conference in Boston. Additionally, her undergraduate thesis on Shanghai’s urban regeneration strategy won the Gold Award at China’s 2020 Living Environment Design Competition. During her exchange at the Technical University of Munich, Jiaqi contributed to published research on transit-oriented development, adding a quantitative analysis perspective to her skills in urban research and planning.
This portfolio showcases some of my featured projects in computational urban design, masterplanning and architecture in a condensed format.
For more information, detail and the approach used, please visit my personal website by clicking: https://aquaplayground.vercel.app/
or scan the QR code on the corner of the page:
If you want to further discuss with me about my experience and qualification, please contact me via jiaqiwang097@gmail.com or send me a message on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiaqi-wang-659a7b176/
Practical Experience
Junior Urban Designer (2023.8-Present)
Broadway Malyan - London
Mitan Erbil Tower District Master Plan
Detail Master Plan, Iraq
Jun. 2024-Oct.2024
This is a masterplan for the 185 ha City of the Future, located on the outer edge of Erbil. The master plan has been planned as a mixed use high-density community with proximity to the landmark Erbil Tower. These residential uses are supported by mixed-use innovation and art district uses including offices, hospitality, retail and community facilities.
My role involved developing a Grasshopper tool to optimize the data management workflow during the detailed master planning stage. Additionally, I was responsible for compiling reports, drafting diagrams, and preparing plans as well as developing sustainable strategy.
Affordable Housing Development Pre Concept Master Plan,UAE Mar. 2024-May.2024
It is designed based on the sustainable and compact city concept, aiming to create a resilient community. The urban fabric follows a modular design approach, integrating landscape structures at various scales to enhance biodiversity, encouraging soft mobility and optimize water resource management.
My role encompassed conceptualization, developing a sustainable strategy framework, creating 3D models and visualizations, and compiling comprehensive design reports to support project delivery and communication.
Dubai Southwest Waterfront Development Concept Master Plan, UAE Oct. 2023-.Feb.2024
The Southwest Waterfront District at the Dubai Waterfront represents a vision for a great waterfront city. The plan maximise the opportunity of over 22 kilometers of waterfront, its extensive network of canals and proximity to the Arabian Gulf but also take nature landscape into consideration. Centre upon the TOD concept, it creates a connected network of cycle and pedestrian routes, public spaces, rich mix of uses and innovative architecture, which adds up to a vibrant community for living, working, hospitality, culture and leisure.
My role involved contributing to concept design, creating supporting diagrams, conducting benchmarking analyses, developing 3D models and visualizations, managing area schedules, and compiling comprehensive design reports.
Waterfront Master Plan
Vision Master Plan Competition, Saudi Arabia Aug. 2023-Oct..2023
The waterfront development masterplan aimed to create a premier tourism destination with diverse uses and activities, including recreational areas, cultural hubs, and a variety of retail and dining options. The plan preserve and active current nature landscape and habitat to ensure ecological integrity and foster biodiversity.
My role involved conducting site analysis, participating in design brainstorming sessions, creating supporting diagrams, performing benchmarking analyses, developing 3D models and visualizations, and compiling detailed design reports.
Architecture and Urban Design Intern (2018.9-2019.12)
Original Design Studio, Shanghai
Regeneration of Suzhou River Waterfront Commissioned by Public Sector, Shanghai, China Aug. 2023-Oct..2023
As the old industrial zone in the heart of Shanghai, the regeneration of the public realm along Suzhou River Waterfront has been the key planning project supported by Shanghai municipal government. The masterplan involves redesign and organize the programming and landscape strategy of waterfront space over 4km.
I primarily contributed to concept design, diagram preparation, and scenario visualization for key public spaces.
Fengxian Cultural Complex Commissioned by Public Sector, Shanghai, China Aug. 2023-Oct..2023
The cultural complex locationed in the suburban district of Shanghai to support the surrounding development. It provides a multifunctional space for education, culture, and community activities, with the total building area over 90,000 m².
My role includes producing technical drawings and 3D modeling in the detailed design stage.
Research Projects
Computational Design and Geospatial Analysis
Grasshopper Development
Machine Learning Research Geo Spatial Analysis 06 07 08 10
PelicanFlow
This is a Grasshopper plugin developed with PythonScript, designed to simplify burdensome and repetitive data handling and visualisation tasks, enabling professionals to focus on design rather than data organization.
Generative Cities
This is an experimental research project of generating urban fabric by utilising unsurpervised machine learning, aiming at balances diverse result and controllable parameters, accelerating the design process.
Inside Out
This project develops a tool to evaluate the impacts of the ‘Zweite Stammstrecke’ Express Rail Project on the Munich Metropolitan Region. The findings offer valuable insights for better achieving Transit-oriented development
Transit-Induced-Gentrification:
This is a geo-spatial analysis project to identify the effect on East London neighbourhoods from the extensions of London Overground and Dockland Light Railway
PelicanFlow
Streamlining Data Management for Urban Designers
Computational Design
APPLIED SKILLS
Python, Visual Studio Code, Rhino, Grasshopper SDK tool, Data Structure, Master Planning Data Management
In the daily practice of urban design and architecture, professionals often spend a significant portion of their time managing, understanding, and exchanging data—time that could be better dedicated to design iteration. To address this challenge, PelicanFlow was developed as a Grasshopper plugin designed to streamline data workflows in masterplanning and urban design projects, enhancing efficiency and productivity.
The first stage of PelicanFlow contains nine custom components written in PythonScript under the rhino 7.0 environment. The script is built around the concept of “TreeTable.” This data structure is based on Grasshopper’s unique built-in DataTree structure. It not only enable seamless data exchange with external platforms but also ensure compatibility with other Grasshopper components, offering a high degree of flexibility. Its capabilities include data filtering, matching, and manipulation, along with tools for rapid data visualization, design iteration, and data exchange with Excel. By minimizing time spent on data management tasks, PelicanFlow enables designers to focus more on creative and strategic aspects of their work.
This plugin has been implemented and optimized through its application in projects at various stages of masterplanning project at the practice in Broadway Malyan. It has received positive feedback from teams in both the London and Singapore offices, affirming its value in real-world practice.
Generative Cities
An Urban Fabric Generation workflow based on unsurpervised machine learning
Computational Design
APPLIED SKILLS
Python(Numpy, Pandas and Sci-kit Learn), Unsurpervised Machine Learning, BFS, Rhino+grasshopper
This project aims to accelerate the conceptual urban design process by streamlining pattern recognition, analysis, and iteration.
It applies unsupervised machine learning to classify the pre-generated massing scenarios and try to cluster urban fabrics that are considered to be similar in selected key performance indicators(KPIs). By doing so, planners could iterate through a large number of scenarios at the district level in a short time.
The building heights could also be generated based on the choice from the three main drivers: Floor Area Ratio (FAR), intended skyline, or the density requirements of surrounding points of interest (POIs).
Compared to traditional rule-based typology generation, the machine learning approach offers a balance between control and flexibility in the generation process. It prevents overly repetitive urban fabric by providing planners the possibility to choose between multiple scenarios while controlling over key parameters, fostering creativity through faster iterations
Generation
driven
Inside Out
Recalibrating Munich Metropolitan Region
Geospatial Analysis
APPLIED SKILLS
Geodata processing, SPSS, Excel, ArcGIS
The “Inside Out” project is a quantitative research project led by Dr Fabian Wenner to investigate the “Zweite Stammstrecke” Express Rail Project’s indication of urbanisation and regionalization for the Munich Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The research is based on Bertolini node-place model theory that the accessibility of a transition node needs to match its functional density. Drawn upon this hypothesis, a series of mapping and analysis has been conducted using
the geo dataset of land use, job opportunities, retail and leisure function density and demography density in the region. Six indicators are calculated to build a new evaluation framework for Munich Metropolitan Regions. It reveals the performance of the 512 stations’ catchment area and their level of balance between public transport accessibility and functional density. This also followed by further recommendations of planning strategies that support the movement towards a more sustainable commuting pattern in the region.
BERTOLINI’S MODEL
JIAQI WANG | AQUAPLAYGROUND.VERCEL.APP
Transit-Induced Gentrification
Evidence From East London
Neighbourhoods Affected By
The Extensions Of London
Overground
And Dockland
Light Railway
DIFFERENTIATION IN MEDIAN HOUSING PRICE
DIFFERENTIATION IN POPULATION RETENTION RATE
Econometrics Analysis
APPLIED SKILLS
Time-series Data Regression, STATA, Python, QGIS 2023
This is a quantitative study measures the extent of gentrification and displacement resulting from the extensions of the London Overground and the Dockland Light Railway. A panel dataset of seven East London boroughs from 2004 to 2015 the at Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) level has been used to conduct a difference-in-differenes analysis. Neighbourhoods has been classified as treated group and control group, and five key indicators of gentrification have been compared to measure the change before and after the extension of the public transport station.
The result reveals significant increases in median housing prices and median household incomes, suggesting the uplifted socioeconomic conditions induced by the transportation programme in LSOAs located within a 1 km radius of the stations. A significantly decreased level of population retention rate also indicates the displacement of the original communities, even after controlling for the impact of the 2012 Summer Olympics. development as an accelerator in gentrification. The neighbourhoods with severe risk of gentrification has been mapped out, which are also clustered next to the tube station.This underscores the urgency and necessity for policymakers to consider these implications in future transit-oriented urban regeneration programmes.
Spatial Planning and Urban Design Academic Design Projects
Live with Water
The Pattern Language
Towards a Water-Oriented Urban Development
Strategic Planning
APPLIED SKILLS
Resilient Strategy, Circular Economy, Sponge city, Nature-based Solution
QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, Indesign
In this project, a pattern language method is applied to stimulate a reconsideration of how people can sustainably live with water in the future. Over the past few decades, the Lake Chao Basin has experienced rapid urbanization. While this has led to improvements in the local economy and living standards, it has also exacerbated significant water-related challenges, including increased flood risks due to densely built-up areas, degraded water quality, and drinking water scarcity.
To address these issues and encourage systematic change, a toolbox—comprising a series of design patterns—has been developed for application at multiple scales. This toolbox empowers local authorities, planners, and community members to co-create water-oriented neighborhoods based on their preferences, using the patterns much like playing cards.
Through several rounds of simulation games, a new vision for Shangpai Town was developed, demonstrating the practical application of this tool. This vision serves as both a pilot project for the town and a showcase for sustainable water management strategies throughout the region.
CO-CREATED NEIGHBOURHOOD
Liv/fe Transition
To a Healthy Agriculture Sector with Livestock as an
Integral Part of Life
APPLIED SKILLS
Strategic Planning, Mapping, Typology Study
QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign
This project is a strategic planning project for South Holland Province in the Netherlands, focusing on the livestock farming sector. As the most densely populated region in the country, South Holland has a long history of livestock farming shaped by its unique peat soil conditions. However, as cities expanded, the disconnect between livestock producers and consumers has grown significantly. Increasing climate concerns in urban areas have further left local dairy farm-
ers feeling marginalized and misunderstood. The project aims to embrace an inclusive transition to address the climate challenges in the livestock farming sector by promoting a value change among producers and consumers, ensuring justice in both spatial and social contexts. The concept envisions closing the current linear chains in the agri-food sector by fostering cross-sector collaboration—such as with energy and waste management—
while also shortening supply chains through urban farming and on-site consumption. To achieve this, three rings of transition have been proposed, accompanied by packages of spatial solutions designed to strengthen the connection between producers and consumers. These transitions focus on stimulating shifts in diet, attitude, and technology, catalyzing a sustainable and circular future for the region.
This project is an urban regeneration proposal on the TU Delft campus, centered around the concept of “seeing energy” to raise awareness among students and residents about the university’s commitment to becoming a net-zero campus. The old power station will be repurposed into an educational and experimental hub, fostering innovation and industrial collaboration between academia and industry to drive the energy transition.
The spatial design incorporates interactive elements such as street lighting, furniture and playground to encourage people’s interactions with energy systems, making energy usage and production visible within the district and promoting a mindset change among citizens.
( SEEING ENERGY? )
‘SEEING ENERGY‘
( BOUNDLESS ZHANG GARDEN )
Boundless ZhangGarden
Regeneration of West Nanjing Road Underground Station
Zhang Garden, situated in the heart of Shanghai, holds a significant place in the city’s history as a well-established neighborhood and a birthplace for the modern culture of Shanghai. This project discuss the transit-oriented development of such a complicated district to capture the potential opportunties brought by the new tube line but also to keep the culture value and community attachment in this area.
By considering the needs of different stakeholders, including existing citizens, nearby drama schools, start-up business, local artists as well as the developers, the design focus lies in providing a synergetic vision that strikes a balance between their demands.
The final proposal creates a new underground layer as an extention of existing Zhang Garden above the ground, which aims to safeguard the authentic community life and traditional culture above the ground. Simultaneously, we envision the creation of vibrant spaces that serve as incubators for metropolitan culture.
Thank you for your time!
For more information please do visit my website:) https://aquaplayground.vercel.app/
