Bochuan Zhao is a Ph.D. candidate in Urban and Rural Planning at the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, China, and a visiting scholar at the Penn Institute for Urban Research. His current research examines the impact mechanisms of urban spatial expansion on carbon emissions and the optimization of spatial structures for coordinated development of urban agglomerations. His research interests encompass urban spatial structure, low-carbon urban planning, urban agglomeration development, and urban renewal. 

He has actively participated in several national and provincial-level key research projects, including major projects funded by the National Social Science Foundation and Shanghai Municipal Government's Decision-making Consultation, as well as collaborative research initiatives focusing on urban regeneration and low-carbon development strategies in China.