Junyao He
Junyao He Zeon Jiu Ho

Postdoctoral Researcher | Economic Geographer and Computational Social Scientist

University of Groningen
Interests
  • Complex Networks and Complex Systems
  • Urban Planning and Urban Studies
  • Urban and Economic Geography
  • Mobility and Migration
  • Computational Social Science
  • Regional Inequality and Spatial Transformation
Education

  • PhD in Human Geography and Spatial Planning

    Utrecht University

  • MSc in Urban Design and International Planning

    The University of Manchester

  • BSc in Human Geography and Urban-Rural Planning

    Southwest University

Featured Publications
Informal participation in digital planning: How can third parties use social media to shift power relations in planning?
How Can Social Networking Sites Empower The Grassroots In Urban Planning?
Measuring social network influence on power relations in collaborative planning: A case study of Beijing City, China
The Role of Social Media in Reshaping the Power of Third Parties in Urban Planning
My Research

My research is organised around complex networks and complex systems as a shared analytical foundation. I study relational and spatial processes across four connected empirical fields:

  • Urban planning and urban studies, including digital participation, planning governance, and power relations.
  • Urban and economic geography, with particular attention to labour markets, regional restructuring, and spatial inequality.
  • Mobility and migration, including job–home networks, residential relocation, interregional migration, and digitally enabled mobility.
  • Computational social science, combining network analysis, spatial methods, simulation, text analysis, and interpretable machine learning.

Current work examines how remote and hybrid work, digitalisation, and emerging technologies reshape urban systems, mobility patterns, and uneven regional development.

Recent Publications & Conferences
Xia, T., He, J., Qiu, M., Liu, L., Mao, Y., Liu, Y., Pan, K., Ding, Y., Zhao, B., Zhang, J. (2026). 3D Walking Network Shapes Social Cohesion of the Elderly in Aging Communities: Evidence from Nanjing, China. Frontiers of Architectural Research.
DOI
He, J. (2026). Gaining Discursive Power through Framing: Citizens' Strategic Use of Social Media in Collaborative Planning. In Chinese Collaborative Planning in the Digital Era: Institutions, Power Relations, and Public Spheres. Routledge..
DOI
He, J., Li, Z., Lin, Y., Hooimeijer, P., Monstadt, J. (2026). Social Media Influence on Collaborative Planning: Framing Strategies in Online Public Participation. Planning Practice & Research.
DOI
Ziogas, T., Ballas, D., Zhang, J., Jager, W., He, J. (2026). MOBI-TWIN D3.1: Methodological Report Describing the MOBI-TWIN Model. MOBI-TWIN Deliverable Report.
Report
He, J., Ziogas, T., Zhang, J., Jager, W., Ballas, D. (2026). MOBI-TWIN D3.4: The Effects of Spatial Mobility during Twin Transition on Regional Inequality and Sustainability in the Identified EU Regional Typologies. MOBI-TWIN Deliverable Report.
Report
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Lectures & Talks
Social Network Analysis Methods
Revitalizing Strijp-S: From Forbidden City To Celebrity City
Smart City and Urban Governance
Narrative of Multiple Data and Public Empowerment in Planning
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