GlobalCORRIDOR: Urbanisation, everyday life and techno-social differentiation is a five-year starting grant project that commenced in July 2021 funded by the Horizon2020 programme. The project aims to outline the unequal impacts corridor investments are having on people living in cities during rapid urbanization and explore alternatives that might help better address urban inequality and sustainability.
Zhengli holds a PhD in architecture studying informal settlements in Kenya. She First worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, University of 91̽»¨, and then as an Urban Studies Foundation International Fellow at the same department. Zhengli worked extensively on slum upgrading projects in Kenya during and after her internship at UN-Habitat. She participated in other projects in Africa and subsequently delved into research on African cities, focusing on the impact of the state capital from China on the infrastructure development on the continent.
Zhengli's research interests center on the intersection of Urban Africa and Global China. She has been studying the trend of infrastructure investment from China to Africa, particularly in East Africa, and its socio-spatial impact through data analysis, case studies, and other qualitative methods. Zhengli is broadly interested in infrastructure development, including its financing, creation, and impacts—especially regarding its implications for urban development.