In this episode of The Intelligent Community, Lou Zacharilla speaks with Dr. Giulio Verdini about a recent UNESCO report about culture and Chinese communities. Part 2 of a conversation with Dr. Verdini.

Giulio Verdini is Reader at the School of Architecture and Cities of the University of Westminster and Course Leader of the BA Designing Cities: Planning and Architecture. He has spent six years in China as Lecturer and then Associate Professor in Urban Planning and Design at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). Founder Co-Director of the XJTLU Research Institute of Urbanisation (2013 – 2016), he has been actively involved in research and action-research, mainly focused on urban governance and sustainable local development. In particular he has published on urban-rural linkages, urban regeneration and community involvement, urbanisation in China.

He regularly serves as scientific and policy advisor for UNESCO and other associated agencies (WHITRAP Shanghai) for the 2011 HUL (Historic Urban Landscape) Recommendation, the topic of culture and rural-urban linkages, creative cities. He is moreover one of the lead contributors of the UNESCO Global Report ‘Culture for Sustainable Urban Development’ (2016) and principal investigator of the UNESCO Report 'Culture 2030 I Rural-Urban Development. China at a glance'. He is the Editor of the newly established Routledge Book Series ‘Planning, Heritage and Sustainability.

Over the years, Dr. Verdini has combined his research activities with planning consultancy in Europe and China. He graduated in Architecture and holds a Phd in Economics, Urban and Regional Development, from the University of Ferrara in Italy.