Muhammad Shahzad is a PhD candidate in Regional Economics at the Business School of Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China, where he is researching the role of Special Economic Zones in regional development with a focus on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He holds an M.Phil in Economics from Bacha Khan University, Pakistan, where he graduated as a Gold Medalist with a CGPA of 3.56/4.0, and a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Peshawar. His research interests encompass new economic geography, spatial analysis using remote sensing data, urbanization trends, geospatial modeling, and sustainable regional development. He has presented his research at international conferences in the USA, Canada, and Pakistan, and has submitted several papers to SSCI-indexed journals. He has previously served as a Lecturer of Economics and Research Supervisor at Horizon Institute of Higher Studies, Peshawar, and as a Research Assistant at Bacha Khan University. He has been awarded Certificates of Honor as an Outstanding International Student for 2023 and 2024 from Northeast Normal University. His technical skills include proficiency in statistical software such as EViews, SPSS, GRETL, STATA, as well as GIS tools including ESRI ArcView and Google Earth Engine, and programming in Python and R

Abstract Title: From Green Landscape to Smart Megacity: An AI-Driven Geospatial Intelligence Framework for Assessing Urban Expansion and Environmental Stress in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (1978-2025) Abstract:Rapid urbanization is reshaping megacity environments at an unprecedented scale, yet the long-term interactions between urban growth, ecological decline, thermal stress, and atmospheric pollution remain insufficiently understood. This study presents an integrated geospatial assessment of environmental transformation in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) from 1978 to 2025. A multi-source remote sensing framework combining the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Normalized Difference Bareness Index (NDBal), Land Surface Temperature (LST), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), nighttime lights (NTL), and land use/land cover (LULC) was employed to evaluate changes in vegetation, urban expansion, surface conditions, thermal environment, air pollution, and anthropogenic activity. Results reveal a profound transition from a predominantly vegetated landscape to a densely urbanized megacity. Green and vegetated areas declined by approximately 320.2 km², whereas built-up land expanded by 509.5 km². Concurrently, LST increased from 24.5°C in 1978 to 39.78°C in 2025, indicating a substantial intensification of urban thermal stress. NO₂ concentrations rose from 0.0001697 to 0.0093515, while nighttime light coverage expanded from 78.3 km² to 137.098 km², reflecting growing industrialization, infrastructure development, transportation activity, and human presence. By integrating multiple environmental indicators across nearly five decades, this study provides a comprehensive perspective on the interconnected consequences of rapid urbanization. The findings emphasize the need for green infrastructure, ecological conservation, pollution mitigation, climate-responsive planning, and continuous geospatial monitoring to promote sustainable and climate-resilient megacity development. Keywords: Urban Expansion; Remote Sensing; Land Use/Land Cover Change; Ecological Indicators; Land Surface Temperature; Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂); Sustainable Urban Development