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Chingwen Cheng

Chingwen Cheng

Program Head and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Environmental Design, The Design School, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Chingwen.Cheng@asu.edu

The Design School
Arizona State University
PO Box 871605
Tempe, AZ 85287-1605

Titles

  • Senior Global Futures Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory
  • Program Head and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Environmental Design, The Design School, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Biography

Chingwen Cheng is Program Head and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, and Environmental Design at The Design School, and Senior Sustainability Scientist at Arizona State University. She is Affiliated Faculty for Urban Climate Research Center, Biomimicry Center, Global Drylands Center, & Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security at ASU.

Cheng's teaching, research, and practice engage transdisciplinary approaches for Climate Justice Design integrating environmental justice theory, spatial mixed-methods, systems design, and nature-based solutions, working with communities for co-developing research agenda and strategies to enhance community resilience and sustainability. Cheng applies Climate Justicescape framework investigating spatial patterns of socially vulnerable groups exposed to climate change-associated hazards and integrates social-ecological-technological systems and place-based design for building just, resilient, and sustainable development. 

Cheng was a visiting scholar at the Risk Society and Policy Research Center and Research Center for Future Earth at the National Taiwan University, and a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan focusing on empirical environmental justice research. She is a Registered Professional Landscape Architect and LEED Accredited Professional with extensive professional experiences integrating participatory and transdisciplinary processes in watershed planning, stormwater management, Low-Impact Development, and community design in the United States. She currently serves on Climate Actions Committee and Environmental Justice Professional Practice Network at the American Society of Landscape Architects advocating justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in design education and professions.

Education

  • PhD, Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2013
  • MLA, Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan, 2001
  • BS, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, National Taiwan University-Taipei, 1998

Expertise

Journal Articles

2022

Choat, B., A. Pulido, A. S. Bhaskar, R. L. Hale, H. X. Zhang, T. Meixner, L. McPhillips, K. G. Hopkins, J. Cherrier and C. Cheng. 2022. A Call to Record Stormwater Control Functions and to Share Network Data. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment 8(2):. DOI: 10.1061/JSWBAY.0000971. (link )

Gaiser, E. E., J. S. Kominoski, D. M. McKnight, C. A. Bahlai, C. Cheng, S. Record, W. M. Wollheim, K. R. Christianson, M. R. Downs, P. A. Hawman, S. J. Holbrook, A. Kumar, D. R. Mishra, N. P. Molotch, R. B. Primack, A. Rassweiler, R. J. Schmitt and L. A. Sutter. 2022. Long-term ecological research and the COVID-19 anthropause: A window to understanding social–ecological disturbance. Ecosphere 13(4):e4019. DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4019. (link )

McPhearson, P. T., E. M. Cook, M. Berbés-Blázquez, C. Cheng, N. B. Grimm, E. Andersson, O. Barbosa, D. G. Chandler, H. Chang, M. V. Chester, D. L. Childers, S. R. Elser, N. Frantzeskaki, Z. J. Grabowski, P. M. Groffman, R. L. Hale, D. M. Iwaniec, N. Kabisch, C. Kennedy, S. A. Markolf, M. Matsler, L. McPhillips, T. R. Miller, T. A. Munoz-Erickson, E. J. Rosi and T. G. Troxler. 2022. A social-ecological-technological systems framework for urban ecosystem services. One Earth 5(5):505-518. DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.04.007. (link )

2021

Chang, H., A. Pallathadka, J. Sauer, N. Grimm, R. Zimmerman, C. Cheng, D. M. Iwaniec, Y. Kim, R. Lloyd, P. T. McPhearson, B. Rosenzweig, T. Troxler, C. Welty, R. Brenner and P. Herreros-Cantis. 2021. Assessment of urban flood vulnerability using the social-ecological-technological systems framework in six US cities. Sustainable Cities and Society 68(May):102786. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2021.102786. (link )

2018

Rosenzweig, B., L. McPhillips, H. Chang, C. Cheng, C. Welty, M. Matsler, D. M. Iwaniec and C. I. Davidson. 2018. Pluvial flood risk and opportunities for resilience. WIREs 5(6):e1302. DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1302. (link )

2017

Cheng, C., R. I. Ryan, P. S. Warren and C. Nicolson. 2017. Exploring stakeholders' perceptions of urban growth scenarios for metropolitan Boston (USA): The relationship between urban trees and perceived density. Cities and the Environment 10(1):Art. 7. (link )

Cheng, C., J. Tsai, Y. E. Yang, R. Esselman, M. M. Kalcic, X. Xu and P. Mohai. 2017. Risk communication and climate justice planning: A case of Michigan's Huron River Watershed. Urban Planning 2(4):34-50. DOI: 10.17645/up.v2i4.1045. (link )

Cheng, C., E. Yang, R. L. Ryan, Q. Yu and E. A. Brabec. 2017. Assessing climate change-induced flooding mitigation for adaptation in Boston’s Charles River watershed, USA. Landscape and Urban Planning 167(November):25-36. DOI: 10.1016/J.LANDURBPLAN.2017.05.019. (link )

2016

Cheng, C. 2016. Spatial climate justice and green infrastructure assessment: A case study for the Huron River watershed, Michigan, USA. GI-Forum 1:176-190. DOI: 10.1553/giscience2016_01_s176. (link )

2015

Goloran, J. B., C. Cheng, I. R. Phillips and J. J. Elser. 2015. Shifts in leaf N:P stoichiometry during rehabilitation in highly alkaline bauxite processing residue sand. Scientific Reports 5:Art. 14811. DOI: 10.1038/srep14811. (link )

2014

Cheng, C. 2014. Resilience thinking in landscape planning: A transdisciplinary framework and a case for climate change adaptation. Landscape Research Record 2:178-189. (link )

Cheng, C., E. A. Brabec, Y. E. Yang and R. L. Ryan. 2014. Rethinking stormwater management in a changing world: Effects of detention for flooding hazard mitigation under climate change scenarios in the Charles River watershed. Landscape Research Record 1:214-228. (link )

Danford, R., C. Cheng, M. W. Strohbach, R. L. Ryan, C. Nicolson and P. S. Warren. 2014. What does it take to achieve equitable urban tree canopy distribution? A Boston case study. Cities and the Environment 7(1):Art. 2. (link )

Book Chapters

2023

Sanchez, C. A., C. Cheng, D. L. Childers and A. M. York. 2023. Transdisciplinary co-design and implementation of a green urban ecological infrastructure performance monitoring plan. Pp. 207-232 In: Sant'Anna, C. G., I. Mell and L. B. Shenk eds., Planning with Landscape: Green Infrastructure to Build Climate-Adapted Cities. Vol 35. Springer, Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-18332-4_11. ISBN: 978-3-031-18331-7.

2014

Cheng, C. 2014. Green infrastructure, urbanization and climate change-induced flooding: An integrated risk assessment and planning framework for the Charles River watershed in the Boston metropolitan area, USA. Pp. 82-90 In: Palestino, M. F. and F. D. Moccia eds., Planning Stormwater Resilient Urban Open Space. CLEAN. ISBN: 978-8884972569.

Posters

2020

Cheng, C., A. Trakas, P. J. Coseo and K. M. Kelley. 2020. Designing green infrastructure for a desert city: Design experiment of hydro-ecological performance evaluation for biodetention details at Flood Control District of Maricopa County, Phoenix, Arizona. Poster presented at the Twenty-second Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 17, 2020, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. Citrin, G., E. J. Laurens a, January 17, 2020, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )

Vanos, J. K., C. Cheng, S. Cloutier, P. J. Coseo, B. J. Grant, A. Hess, A. Ross and J. Labato. 2020. Microscale urban adaptations to mitigate heat and air pollution exposures and improve children’s health: An overview. Poster presented at the Twenty-second Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 17, 2020, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )

2019

Sanchez, C. A., C. Cheng, D. L. Childers and A. M. York. 2019. Designing and implementing ecological monitoring of Urban Ecological Infrastructure (UEI): A case-study. Poster presented at the 21st Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, January 11, 2019, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )

2018

Sanchez, C. A., P. J. Coseo and C. Cheng. 2018. Understanding co-production in urban ecological design: Design processes to support “Designed Experiments”. Poster presented at the 20th Annual CAP LTER All Scientists Meeting and Poster Session, January 5, 2018, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )

2017

Lee, J. and C. Cheng. 2017. Land use patterns, water quality, and social vulnerability: A spatial analysis of Phoenix's drainage systems. Poster presented at the 19th Annual Central-Arizona Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research All Scientists Meeting and Poster Symposium, 13 January 2017, Skysong, Scottsdale, AZ. (link )

Presentations

2018

Roy Chowdhury, R., G. Hydrick, C. Cheng, A. Barnett, D. P. Eisenman, J. Santos-Hernández and V. Shandas. 2018. A conceptual framework for urban vulnerability analysis in sustainability science: Integrating socio-ecological-technological systems. Presentation at the Annual , April 10-14, 2018, New Orleans, LA. (link )

2017

Cheng, C., N. Grimm, L. McPhillips, J. Lee and M. Palta. 2017. Green infrastructure, urban resilience and sustainability. Presentation at the Resilience 2017: Resilience Frontiers for Global Sustainability, August 20-23, 2017, Stockholm, Sweden. (link )

Cheng, C., J. Tsai, E. Y. Yang, R. Esselman, M. M. Kalcic, X. Xu and P. Mohai. 2017. Climate justice, risk communication, and planning: A case for Michigan's Huron River watershed. Presentation at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) 57th Annual Conference, October 12-15, 2017, Denver, CO.

Cheng, C., J. Tsai, E. Y. Yang, R. Esselman, M. Kalcic, X. Xu and P. Mohai. 2017. How voices inform design for climate justice and green infrastructure: A case for Michigan’s Huron River watershed. Presentation at the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) 44th Annual Conference, May 31-June 3, 2017, Madison, WI.

Cook, E. M., O. Barbosa, M. Berbes-Blazquez, C. Cheng, N. B. Grimm, D. M. Iwaniec and P. T. McPhearson. 2017. A social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) approach to urban ecosystem services. Presentation at the II Conference of the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society: Place-based Transdisciplinary Research for Global Sustainability, November 7-10, 2017, Oaxaca, Mexico. (link )

Grimm, N. B., M. Berbes Blazquez, C. Cheng, E. M. Cook, P. T. McPhearson and L. McPhillips. 2017. Assessing urban aquatic services in the face of climate-driven extreme events. Presentation at the Portland ESA 2017, August 6-11, 2017, Portland, OR. (link )

McPhearson, P. T., E. Cook, C. Cheng, N. Grimm and D. Iwaniec. 2017. Climate resilience in urban social-ecological-technical systems: A SETS Approach to urban ecosystem services. Presentation at the Resilience 2017: Resilience Frontiers for Global Sustainability, August 20-23, 2017, Stockholm, Sweden. (link )

McPhillips, L., C. Cheng, P. T. McPhearson and N. B. Grimm. 2017. Cross-city spatial comparison of green infrastructure distribution in the US and Latin America. Presentation at the II Conference of the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society: Place-based Transdisciplinary Research for Global Sustainability, November 7-10, 2017, Oaxaca City, Mexico. (link )

2015

Cheng, C. 2015. Climate justice and implications in climate change adaptation planning for the Huron River Watershed, Michigan. Presentation at the 55th Annual ACSP Conference: Justice and the City: (re)Examining the Past to Create the Future, October 22-25, 2015, Houston, TX. (link )

Cheng, C. 2015. Transdisciplinary planning and cultural landscape preservation: A case for Gullah community in St. Helena Island, SC. Presentation at the Symposium on Culture Identity and Spatial Implementation, January 6, 2015, National Quemoy University, Kinmen, Taiwan.

2014

Cheng, C. 2014. Resilent growth with climate justice: A social-environmental climate vulnerability assessment framework for spatial planning. Presentation at the European Schools of Planning (AESOP), July 9-12, 2014, Utrecht-Delft, The Netherlands.

Cheng, C., P. S. Warren, R. L. Ryan and C. Nicolson. 2014. Planning in the linked social-ecological systems: A conceptual framework and a case for the BMA ULTRA-ex Project. Presentation at the edra45: Building with Change, May 28-31, 2014, New Orleans, LA. (link )

Conference Papers

2013

Ryan, R. L., P. S. Warren, C. Nicolson, C. Cheng, R. Danford and M. W. Strohbach. 2013. Scenario planning for the Boston metropolitan region: Exploring environmental and social implications of alternative futures. Pp. 74-80 Proceedings of Fabios Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning. Fabios Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning.

Reports

2008

Cheng, C. 2008. Infrastructure in Visions of Smart Growth and Sustainability: Florida Chapter ASLA Charrette to Illustrate Tools for Better Urban Growth and Environmental Stewardship. ASLA Publishing.

2005

Cheng, C. and J. Haugland. 2005. Changing Cost Perceptions: An Analysis of Conservation Development. Illinois Conservation Foundation, Chicago Wilderness and Conservation Research Institute. (link )

Thesis (PhD)

2013

Cheng, C. 2013. Social vulnerability, green infrastructure, urbanization and climate change-induced flooding: A risk assessment for the Charles River watershed, Massachusetts, USA. PhD Dissertation. University of Massachusetts-Amherst. (link )