Dr Zhixin Liu

School of Architecture and Landscape

Lecturer in Landscape Architecture

Headshot of Dr Zhixin Liu
Profile picture of Headshot of Dr Zhixin Liu
zhixin.liu@sheffield.ac.uk
Arts Tower

Full contact details

Dr Zhixin Liu
School of Architecture and Landscape
Arts Tower
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile

I started my career as a lecturer in the School of Architecture and Landscape, ±¬ÁÏTV, in 2024. Prior to joining Sheffield, I was a research assistant professor at School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a postdoctoral fellow at Institute of Future Cities, CUHK. I received my Ph.D degree in Building Environment and Energy Laboratory, South China University of Technology. I was a visiting scholar at Microclimate Design Research Group, Department of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning, Texas A&M University.

I have been actively involved in urban microclimate research since 2013 and have authored more than twenty journal papers focusing on the thermal and human-biometeorological effects of urban greening. My research focuses on climate-adaptive urban environmental design and planning with a specific focus on urban microclimate, thermal effects of urban greening, and outdoor human thermal comfort. My expertise is in urban microclimate assessment via field observations and numerical simulation. By conducting interdisciplinary research, I focus on providing scientific evidence and translating it to practical strategies for landscape designers, practitioners, and decision-makers for making a better living urban environment.

I enthusiastically participate in academic activities, serving as a reviewer for over ten leading journals in the fields of urban (micro)climate, urban greening, and biometeorology. In 2023, I was honored with the "Excellence in Reviewing" award by Urban Climate for my contributions. Currently I am serving as the associate editor for Urban Climate, Elsevier.

Research interests
  • Urban microclimates
  • Thermal effects of urban greening
  • Human thermal comfort/health
  • Evidence-based climate-responsive landscape design
  • Microclimatic research methodology

Areas of Potential Research Degree Supervision

Students interested in urban microclimate research are very welcome to join my research team and I would be delighted to serve as your master's or PhD advisor. We offer a professional platform for urban microclimate studies, equipped with specialized simulation software and instruments for microclimate observation. Areas of potential research degree supervision are: 

  • Multi-scale urban climate research
  • Evidence-based urban blue-green infrastructure design optimization
  • Outdoor human thermal comfort and thermal safety for thermally vulnerable populations

Current PhD Students
Hui Li (2022- ), PhD project – Cooling effects and heat transfer mechanisms of glass-facade building influenced by different vegetation species on thermal balance (First supervisor Prof. Ross Cameron).
 

Publications

Journal articles

  • Yao L, Lau K, Zhang X, Liu Z, Xu G, Gao K, Rahman MA & Ng E (2026) . Building and Environment, 114471-114471.
  • Vallivattam R, Liu Z & Brindley P (2025) . Land, 14(11).
  • Liu Z, Cheng KY, Amati M, Jim CY, Hua C, Yokohari M, Cameron R & Ng E (2025) . Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 105.
  • He Y, Wong CHM, Deng J, Liu Z & Ng E (2024) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 116, 105898-105898.
  • Li Q, Li Q, Wu H, Mi J, Lu X, Mochida A, Ishida Y & Liu Z (2024) . Building Simulation, 17(10), 1767-1787.
  • Su X, Li Y, Gu C, Liu Z, Yang B & Hong B (2023) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 99, 104940-104940.
  • Liu Z, Cheng KY, Sinsel T, Simon H, Jim CY, Morakinyo TE, He Y, Yin S, Ouyang W, Shi Y & Ng E (2023) . Building and Environment, 244, 110759-110759.
  • Cheng KY, Lau K, Shek YT, Liu Z & Ng E (2023) . Building and Environment, 239, 110431-110431.
  • He Y, Liu Z & Ng E (2022) . Building and Environment, 226, 109692-109692.
  • Liu Z, Cheng KY, He Y, Jim CY, Brown RD, Shi Y, Lau K & Ng E (2022) . Building and Environment, 222, 109411-109411.
  • Ouyang W, Liu Z, Lau K, Shi Y & Ng E (2022) . Building and Environment, 216, 109004-109004.
  • Liu Z & Jim CY (2021) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 75, 103271-103271.
  • Cheng W, Li D, Liu Z & Brown RD (2021) . Science of The Total Environment, 799.
  • Liu Z, Cheng W, Jim CY, Morakinyo TE, Shi Y & Ng E (2021) . Building and Environment, 200, 107939-107939.
  • Liu Z, Brown RD, Zheng S, Zhang L & Zhao L (2020) . International Journal of Biometeorology, 64(10), 1675-1686.
  • Zheng S, Guldmann J-M, Liu Z, Zhao L, Wang J, Pan X & Zhao D (2020) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 57, 102116-102116.
  • Liu Z, Brown RD, Zheng S, Jiang Y & Zhao L (2020) . Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 50, 126646-126646.
  • Zheng S, Guldmann J-M, Liu Z, Zhao L, Wang J & Pan X (2020) . Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 47, 126545-126545.
  • Zheng S, Guldmann J-M, Liu Z & Zhao L (2018) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 42, 482-497.
  • Liu Z, Zheng S, Fang X, Lu X & Zhao L (2018) . Beijing Linye Daxue Xuebao Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 40(3), 1-12.
  • Liu Z, Zheng S & Zhao L () . Atmosphere, 9(5), 198-198.
Research group

Nature Culture(s)

Grants
2023-2025

Study on the long-term impact of green space on urban local climate and building energy consumption in hot and humid areas

An international scientific and technological cooperation projects (Co-I)

Funded by Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China

2018-2019

The Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Innovation Fund 

Funded by South China University of Technology, China

Teaching activities
  • ALA111 – Presentation, Communication and Research Skills
  • ALA325 – Landscape Planning – Urban Regeneration
  • ALA447 – Advanced Landscape Research and Dissertation Preparation
  • ALA448 – Professional Skills and Technologies (the microclimate simulation option)
  • ALA469 – Final Landscape Project
  • ALA403 – Landscape Research Dissertation
  • LSC419 – Advanced Landscape Planning – Global Issues (Urban Microclimates, Climate‑Responsive Design, and Advanced Simulation Tool)
Professional activities and memberships

Memberships

  • Honorary Research Associate, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2024.03 - 2026.03)
  • Team Member, 

Editorships

  • Associate editor, 
  • Invited guest editor,  (2025.05 - 2026.02)

Professional activities

  • Journal refereeing: Nature Communications; Building and Environment; Sustainable Cities and Society; Urban Climate; Urban Forestry and Urban Greening; International Journal of Biometeorology; Sustainability; Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering; Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences; Architectural Science Review, etc.
Awards
  • Excellence in Reviewing (2023) (awarded to Zhixin in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the quality of the journal Urban Climate)
  • The winner of Future Building Category of the "Advancing Net Zero" Ideas Competition, organized by the Hong Kong Green Building Council. Collaborated with Ronald Lu & Partners (Hong Kong) Ltd. (2021)

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