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Urban Design & Planning Interdisciplinary Ph.D.

Month: March 2023

April 11 Research Seminar – GLD 142, 12:30-1:20pm. Bo Zhao: Humanistic GIS: Towards a Research Agenda

Presenter: Bo Zhao

Abstract: The talk introduces a new research perspective called “humanistic GIS” that considers the expanded category of GIS technology and its impact on the human experience. This perspective integrates existing fragmented humanism-related GIS studies and reorients the epistemological foundation. It categorizes GIS through its embodiment, hermeneutic, autonomous, and background relations with humans and places and provides an analytical structure for examining the implications of GIS. The talk also discusses Dr. Zhao’s web mapping projects inspired by this perspective, such as the global refugee atlas, the shifting LGBTQ+ urban spaces, and the Archiving the CHOP, which aims to use GIS in more empathetic ways for marginalized communities.

Bio: Bo Zhao is an associate professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he directs the Humanistic GIS Lab. His research focuses on the social implications of emerging GIS technologies for vulnerable populations, including refugees, LGBTQ+ communities, and Black communities affected by COVID-19. He studies how social media data is used in political struggles, such as location-spoofing by indigenous groups or reactionary groups agitating over “fake news.” His recent work on deepfake geography urges GIScientists to develop coping strategies for GeoAI in the age of “post-truth.” Zhao has been funded by NSF, National Geographic, and Samsung and is working on a research agenda around Humanistic GIS that incorporates personal experience into GIS applications.

A zoom option will be available as well: https://washington.zoom.us/j/99449207106?pwd=QktDMEJta2RJUE5hdElOK0t2WWFOdz09

“Your old workweek is extinct” – Urban Planning PhD student Lamis Ashour plays key role in commute survey covered by local media

A young woman--PhD student Lamis Ashour--looks directly at the camera. She has long straight brown hair and is wearing a plaid shirt.
URBDP PhD candidate Lamis Ashour

Recent news coverage has highlighted the findings of the 2022 Seattle Commute Survey, in which Urban Design and Planning PhD candidate Lamis Ashour and faculty members Qing Shen and Anne Vernez Moudon played leading roles.

The Seattle Commute Survey takes place every two years as required by state law. For the most recent survey, Commute Seattle teamed up with UW’s Mobility Innovation Center and the Department of Urban Design and Planning. The team redesigned the survey questionnaire to cover more comprehensively employees’ commute options and work models and to obtain a thorough understanding of the changes in spatiotemporal patterns of commute and non-commute trips and travel behavior, motives, and needs.

After the collection and analysis of more than 64,000 responses, the resulting data portray key characteristics of a new normal in urban transportation and show important transportation equity issues, which have major planning and policy implications.

These important results did not go unnoticed by local media, examples of which can be found here:

KING 5: More remote work, more grocery trips: How Seattle’s commuting habits changed since pandemic

Seattle Times: Your old workweek is extinct, Commute Seattle data shows

March 28, 12:30-1:20pm – Research Seminar (GLD 142) – Phil Hurvitz: Built Environment and Walkability: Data Driven Approaches for Measurement and Analysis

Presenter: Phil Hurvitz

Title: Built Environment and Walkability: Data Driven Approaches for Measurement and Analysis

Abstract: The increase in obesity is a continuing and worldwide problem, affecting many countries and people across age classes. Decreases in physical activity and changes in diet are believed to be the proximal causes for the “obesity epidemic.” In this presentation, we provide some background to the relationship between built environment and physical activity, particularly walking. We review some research done by the Urban Form Lab, and present a new approach for constructing a walkability metric using readily available data and a transparent methodology. With data from the US Census and Data Axle (formerly InfoUSA), the walkability metric can be constructed for any point sample within the US.

Also available on zoom:https://washington.zoom.us/j/99449207106?pwd=QktDMEJta2RJUE5hdElOK0t2WWFOdz09