Interview with Mengyixin Li: International Open Access Week 2023

As part of International Open Access Week 2023, we sat down with Dr. Mengyixin Li, author of “Large-Scale Urban Parks on Post-Industrial Sites in Contemporary Urban Landscape Conceptions” and Associate Professor at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Architecture and Planning. Dr. Li’s new Open Access Monograph explores how public parks reflect as well as influence various socio-cultural, ecological, and aesthetic developments, with the work adopting an international approach by conducting cross-cultural research on the theories and practices of large-scale urban parks in North America, Germany, and China. In this interview, we discuss the various ways in which publishing Open Access has benefited Li’s research.

Can you briefly describe your research and the specific work you've published as Open Access?

Rapid urbanization and expanding urban areas bring not only opportunities but also significant challenges to urban spatial structure, society, and ecology. Large-scale urban parks, a fundamental concept within landscape planning and design, are inextricably linked to contemporary urban development and the conception of urban landscapes. This book published as Open Access analyzes the various design models of large-scale urban parks in three regions—North America, Germany, and China. Through an in-depth cross-cultural analysis, the text explores pluralistic understandings of contemporary urban landscapes and the diverse urban parks regenerated from industrial wastelands with organic, structural, and shan-shui identities, revealing how expansive parks, urban nature, and contemporary cities are reimagined through urban regeneration and the transformation of post-industrial sites.

What motivated you to choose Open Access as the publishing model for your work? Were there any specific goals or objectives you had in mind? What was appealing about MDPI Books in terms of publishing Open Access with them? 

Firstly, I believe that Open Access publishing will allow more scholars to see my research results, and secondly, my research itself is an open and critical exploration of landscapes in different regional cultural environments, and through Open Access it may be possible to generate more collisions and exchanges of ideas. And for all of these purposes, MDPI Books can provide me with a great platform and opportunity to demonstrate.

Open Access allows an author’s work to reach a wider and more diverse audience than traditional publishing. Why is it important that your research in particular reaches as many people as possible?

As a young Chinese educator and scholar, my students come from many different countries, and they can easily and conveniently gain insights into my research through Open Access, which is especially essential for internationalised education and teaching, as well as open and diverse landscape studies.

Have you received feedback or testimonials from readers or users who found your work through Open Access channels? If so, how has this feedback been valuable to your research or career?

I have found that more people are searching and finding me through Research Gate and seeing my book and papers, which is good feedback.

Lastly, what advice would you give to other researchers considering Open Access publishing as a means to reach the right audience for their work? Are there any key lessons or insights you've gained from your experience?

On the MDPI Books website, I was able to see some data to help me understand how much attention my book has received, which is an encouragement and motivation for scholars. I am more in favour of young scholars sharing their unique perspectives through Open Access, and this kind of extensive exchange will definitely promote cooperation and communication from multiple perspectives, and will, to a certain extent, allow increasing people to see our potential and possibilities. At the same time, as an Associate Professor at the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, I think that if my personal research can be widely seen by scholars from different countries, this benign influence will also surely promote cooperation and exchanges between the universities where scholars work.

Dr. Li’s Open Access Monograph is available to download and read here. To explore more MDPI Books Open Access titles, head on over to our online Library.