My interest in cities comes from lived experience. I grew up in a small industrial town in China and later lived in large, fast-changing cities in both China and the United States. Across these places, I became aware of how ordinary spaces, local shops, streets, and everyday routines, help people feel anchored as cities evolve. My work focuses on understanding how people interact with the built environment at the neighborhood scale, and how these interactions shape community life. I draw on behavioral research, spatial analysis, and design to translate lived human experience into insights that can support more thoughtful, resilient urban design and policy.