Jing
Chen
School of Architecture and Landscape
PhD Research Student
Full contact details
School of Architecture and Landscape
Arts Tower
- Profile
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Jing Chen is a doctoral researcher in Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield, supervised by Professor Ross Cameron. Her research investigates public
preference for and acceptance of naturalistic planting in China, examining how planting characteristics, regional environmental and cultural contexts, and individual backgrounds shape people’s responses to urban vegetation.Before beginning her postgraduate studies, Jing worked at Shanghai Gardens (Group) Co., Ltd. and China Shanghai Architectural Design & Research Institute Co.,
Ltd. Her work at Shanghai Disney Resort involved design and coordination across multiple project packages, spanning landscape architecture and architecture. Other architectural projects to which she contributed received national honours, including China’s Guangsha Award and Luban Award. During her doctoral studies, she also participated in habitat restoration work in Shanghai in collaboration with East China Normal University.Her research and professional interests bridge planting design, ecological restoration, and public perceptions of landscapes. Jing is particularly interested in how naturalistic planting can respond to local environmental conditions and aesthetic expectations, which informs its design, management, and wider adoption.
- Research interests
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- Public preference for and acceptance of naturalistic planting
- Multi-layer naturalistic planting and naturalistic meadows
- Planting design, vegetation structure and landscape aesthetics
- Regional and cultural variation in landscape perception
- Nature engagement and environmental communication
- Urban habitat restoration
PhD project title: Public Preference and Acceptance of Naturalistic Planting in China
Jing’s doctoral research explores how different forms of naturalistic planting are perceived and accepted in China. The project comprises two complementary
experimental studies supported by large-scale questionnaire surveys. The first study examines multi-layer naturalistic planting in Shanghai, known for its pioneering approach. The second study looks into naturalistic meadows through a nationwide survey, exploring public responses to a planting practice that has gained popularity in China in recent years. Together, the studies address both the visual characteristics of naturalistic planting and the regional contexts in which it is introduced. The nationwide component extends this enquiry across diverse environments and backgrounds, assessing the potential challenges of adopting meadow-style planting in regions with different natural vegetation and landscape traditions.The research aims to inform the design, management and public communication of naturalistic planting in Chinese cities. By analysing variations in preference and
acceptance across planting types and contexts, it seeks to support approaches sensitive to both ecological conditions and public expectations.Primary supervisor