Dr Fujie Rao
Lecturer
School of Architecture and Built Environment
College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities
Fujie Rao is a Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at Adelaide University (Level B; continuing position). He previously served as a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor of Urban Design and Planning at Shanghai Jiao Tong University from November 2020 to December 2025. His research focuses on resilient and sustainable urban transitions, with particular attention to how urban centres, especially their shopping districts and main streets, can remain vibrant, inclusive, and socially sustainable as digital technologies reshape the ways people work, shop, move, and connect, while cities simultaneously confront intensifying climate risks.
His teaching seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, between spatial and social/community planning and design, through flipped, seminar-studio, research-led, and practice-informed pedagogical approaches. These approaches prioritise advanced forms of intellectual learning – such as critical, reflexive, and original thinking – and aim to elevate human creativity through wise and ethical engagement with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Fujie joined Adelaide University at a time of institutional renewal following its major merger, marking a new chapter both for the university and for his own academic career as he returns to Australia. He looks forward to collaborating with fellow researchers, practitioners, and local communities in Adelaide and internationally to contribute to more liveable, resilient, and future-ready cities.
My research focuses on resilient and sustainable urban transitions amid rapid digitalisation and the climate crisis, with particular interests in city centres, main streets, digital-material shopping spaces, 15/X-minute cities, and climate-resilient, healthy, and just human habitats.
Current projects revolve around the following four clusters:
Cluster I: Transformative Resilience of City Centres and Main Streets
Featured Research: Rao F*, Zhao H, Han S, Kong Y, Lai D, and Lu T. 2024. Transformative resilience of Wuhan’s city-centre main streets in the post-COVID era. Nature Cities. 1: 378-389.
Cluster II: Typology of Material/Digital Shopping Spaces
Featured Research: Rao F* and Dovey K. 2021. Shopping and urbanity: Emerging assemblages of main street, mall, and power centre. Planning Theory & Practice. 22(5): 747-764.
Cluster III: Walkable, Diverse, and Creative 15/X-minute Cities
Featured Research: Rao F*, Kong Y, Ng K, Xie Q, and Zhu Y. 2024. Unravelling the spatial arrangement of the 15-minute city: A comparative study of Shanghai, Melbourne, and Portland. Planning Theory and Practice. 25(2): 184-206.
Cluster IV: Climate-resilient, Healthy, and Just Human Habitats
Featured Research: Qian W, Rao F*, Li X, and Lai D*. 2025. Mapping priority zones for urban heat mitigation in Shanghai: Heat risk vs. shelter provision. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 121: 102330.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2025 | Tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor | Shanghai Jiao Tong University |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 - 2019 | University of Melbourne | Australia | PhD in Urban Design and Planning |
| 2011 - 2014 | University of Alberta | Canada | Master of Arts in Human Geography and Planning |
| 2007 - 2011 | Zhejiang University | China | Bachelor of Land Management and Public Administration |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Rao, F., Lu, T., & Li, Z. (2025). Resilience from the socio-spatial transformation and digitalisation of Chinese cities: Introduction to a special issue. Transactions in Planning and Urban Research, 4(3-4), 227-233. |
| 2025 | Rao, F., & Liu, L. (2025). Toward Urban-Oriented Shopping Center Development in the Post-COVID Era? Learning from Shopping Centers with Apple Store. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 45(1), 181-202. Scopus6 WoS8 |
| 2025 | Qian, W., Rao, F., Li, X., & Lai, D. (2025). Mapping priority zones for urban heat mitigation in Shanghai: Heat risk vs. shelter provision. Computers Environment and Urban Systems, 121, 102330. Scopus2 |
| 2024 | Rao, F., Xiao, P., Zhang, Y., & Lai, D. (2024). Unravelling key environmental factors influencing urban park visits: Thermal comfort and air quality. Urban Climate, 57, 102096. Scopus6 |
| 2024 | Fang, L., & Rao, F. (2024). When Industry Diversity Meets Walkability: An Analysis of Innovation in Baltimore, United States, and Melbourne, Australia. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 44(2), 958-969. Scopus10 WoS8 |
| 2024 | Rao, F., Zhao, H., Han, S. S., Kong, Y., Lai, D., & Lu, T. (2024). Transformative resilience of Wuhan's city-center main streets in the post-COVID era. NATURE CITIES, 1(5), 15 pages. WoS7 |
| 2024 | Rao, F., Kong, Y., Ng, K. H., Xie, Q., & Zhu, Y. (2024). Unravelling the Spatial Arrangement of the 15-Minute City: A Comparative Study of Shanghai, Melbourne, and Portland. Planning Theory & Practice, 25(2), 184-206. Scopus17 WoS17 |
| 2023 | Zhang, Y., Rao, F., Xue, J., & Lai, D. (2023). Dependence of urban park visits on thermal environment and air quality. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 79, 127813. Scopus23 |
| 2022 | Rao, F., Han, S. S., & Pan, R. (2022). Planning for resilient central-city shopping districts in the post-Covid era: an explanatory case study of the Hoddle Grid in Melbourne. Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society, 15(3), 575-596. Scopus5 WoS5 |
| 2021 | Rao, F., & Pafka, E. (2021). Shopping morphologies of urban transit station areas: A comparative study of central city station catchments in Toronto, San Francisco, and Melbourne. Journal of Transport Geography, 96, 103156. Scopus13 |
| 2021 | Rao, F., & Dovey, K. (2021). Shopping and Urbanity: Emerging Assemblages of Main Street, Mall, and Power Centre. Planning Theory and Practice, 22(5), 747-764. Scopus12 WoS10 |
| 2020 | Rao, F. (2020). Unravelling material/digital shopping space: An assemblage approach. Geography Compass, 14(11), 16 pages. Scopus7 WoS6 |
| 2020 | Rao, F. (2020). Shopping centre morphologies in transition: towards a morphological typology of retail synergies. Urban Design International, 25(4), 310-327. Scopus15 WoS13 |
| 2019 | Rao, F. (2019). Resilient forms of shopping centers amid the rise of online retailing: Towards the urban experience. Sustainability Switzerland, 11(15), 25 pages. Scopus35 WoS27 |
| 2018 | Dovey, K., Rao, F., & Pafka, E. (2018). Agglomeration and assemblage: Deterritorialising urban theory. Urban Studies, 55(2), 263-273. Scopus43 WoS39 |
| 2018 | Rao, F., Dovey, K., & Pafka, E. (2018). Towards a genealogy of urban shopping: types, adaptations and resilience. Journal of Urban Design, 23(4), 544-557. Scopus21 WoS16 |
| 2016 | Rao, F., & Summers, R. J. (2016). Planning for retail resilience: Comparing Edmonton and Portland. Cities, 58, 97-106. Scopus38 WoS34 |
2025/03 - 2029/09, PI, Joint PhD Project with Paired Seed Funding
- Co-funded by the University of Melbourne and Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- 10 projects awarded for 2024 applications
- Collaborating with UniMelb PI: Prof. Sun Sheng Han
- Travel Fund: 50,000 RMB from SJTU + 10,000 AUD from UniMelb
- One PhD opportunity with a generous full scholarship
- Urban Institutions, Socioeconomic-spatial Mix and the City Centre: Comparing Melbourne and Shanghai
2024/01 - 2026/12, PI, Young Scientist Program
- National Natural Science Foundation of China, 300,000 RMB, No. 42301209
- Transformative Resilience and Driving Forces of Shopping Centre Vitality
2021/08 - 2024/12, PI, Humanities & Social Sciences Research Grant
- Ministry of Education, China, 80,000 RMB, No. 21YJCZH121
- Socio-Economic Resilience of Main Streets in the Digital Age
2023/10 - 2026/10, PI, Shanghai Pujiang Programme
- Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Shanghai, 150,000 RMB, No. 23PJC061
- Resilience and Vitality of Megacity Shopping Centres
2022/03 - 2023/02, PI, Sci & Tech Innovation Action Plan: Social Science Research Grant
- Sci & Tech Commission of Shanghai, 50,000 RMB, No. 22692194900
- Spatial Planning/Governance Regimes of 15-min Innovative Neighbourhoods
2023/03 - 2023/09, PI, General Research Grant
- Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources of Shanghai, 60,000 RMB, No. Ghzy-2023-GX08
- Socio-Spatial Urban Transformations in the Age of Digitalisation
2020/11 - 2023/12, PI, Early Career Researcher Grant
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200,000 RMB
2017/09 - 2018/09, Co-I, U21 Graduate Collaborative Research Grant
- UNIVERSITAS 21, 4,880 USD
- When Industry Diversity Meets Walkability: An Analysis of Innovation
2021/02 - 2025/12, Course and Studio Coordinator, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
ARCH6402 Urban and Regional Planning Theory
- Course Coordinator; Postgraduate Core
- 2021 to 2025 Spring Semester
ARCH6202 Urban Design Studio
- Studio Co-Coordinator; Postgraduate Core
- 2025 Spring Semester: Urban Editing – A Future Narrative of Xujiahui Commercial Core
- Public Exhibition at T20 Building, Xujiahui Regional Shopping Centre, Shanghai
ARCH8003 Multi-disciplinary Design Thinking
- Studio Co-Coordinator; Postgraduate Elective
- 2022 and 2023 Fall Semester: Material-virtual university campus regeneration
AR413 Urban Research and Design
- Studio Co-Coordinator; Undergraduate Core
- 2021 Spring Semester
2016/02 - 2019/08, Tutor, Guest Lecturer, University of Melbourne
ABPL90017 Urban Design Theory
- Postgraduate Core; 3 semesters
ABPL20049 Introduction to Urban Planning & Design
- Undergraduate Core; 2 semesters
ABPL90134 Planning Theory and History
- Postgraduate Core; 2 semesters
ABPL90132 Land Use and Urban Design
- Postgraduate Core; 1 semester
2011/09 - 2013/12, Teaching Assistant, University of Alberta
HGP100 Cultures, Landscapes, and Geographic Space
- Undergraduate Core; 2 semesters
HGP210 Planning Theory and Practice
- Undergraduate Core; 1 semester
HGP240 Cities and Urbanism
- Undergraduate Core; 1 semester
HGP250 Natural Resources and Environmental Management
- Undergraduate Core; 1 semester
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