Zhong-Ren Peng is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center. He is also a professor and the director of the International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design (iAdapt) at the College of Design, Construction, and Planning of the University of Florida. His research expertise focuses on three major areas: adaptation planning for climate change, sustainable and resilient transportation systems, and artificial intelligence in urban planning.

Peng has an extensive publication record, with over 180 journal articles, two books, and ten book chapters published across multiple disciplines. Notably, fifty-six of his articles have been recognized as “extremely highly cited” by Dimensions Analytics. His work in urban planning has made a significant impact in academia, the planning profession, and urban communities. As an expert in the global planning community, Peng has been frequently invited to deliver keynote speeches at conferences worldwide.

Prior to joining the University of Florida, Peng held positions as an assistant, associate, and full-time professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1996 to 2007. He holds a BS in geography from Central China Normal University, dual MS degrees in geography from the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Science and economics from Portland State University, as well as a PhD in urban studies from Portland State University.