Yingdi Dai is a Master’s student in Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Designat School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy. With a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Art from the China Academy of Art, her academic path bridges the disciplines of architecture, landscape, and cultural theory.
Her research focuses on rehumanizing neglected urban spaces through the integration of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), and Five Elements Theory (Wu Xing). By linking traditional cultural frameworks with contemporary spatial analysis, her work explores how symbolic and ecological strategies can contribute to safer, more inclusive urban environments.
Yingdi’s paper, “Re-Humanizing Public Space: A CPTED and Nature-Based Safety Strategy Informed by the Five Elements Theory in Scampia, Naples”, was selectedfor presentation at the RESER 2025 Conference. She is also scheduled to present relatedwork at upcoming international conferences including the UAA 2026 (Chicago) andIGU 2026 (Istanbul).
In addition to academic work, Yingdi has co-developed the Balance in Place Toolkit, an open-source spatial computing tool hosted on GitHub and Zenodo, supporting culturally informed CPTED applications. She has also participated in collaborativedesign workshops across Europe, focusing on green infrastructure, digital heritage, and AI-supported urban analysis.
Yingdi aspires to pursue a PhD position in urban design or spatial justice, combiningtheoretical research with design practice. Her long-term goal is to develop culturallysensitive, environmentally resilient design frameworks that support equity and well-being in urban regeneration.
