Geo-Innovation Lab

The Geo-Innovation lab was established in 2015. Research of the lab concerns globalization, urbanization, and sustainability. The research is in the areas of economic geography and development, urban geography and planning, GIS and quantitative methods. The research projects focus on the spatial patterns, dynamics, and mechanisms of economic and urban activities, and their effects at different space-time scales. Specifically, at the international and regional levels, the research examines locational choices and determinants of global economic activities including foreign direct investment and trade, and their effects on countries and metropolitan regions to reduce inequality and poverty, create jobs, and promote innovation and development. At the local level, the research investigates residential and industrial location choices and their effects on cities and places to help utilize agglomeration economies, develop smart housing, build a sustainable environment, and promote urban health. The research at the local level also investigates disparities in food access and their roles in the spread and mitigation of disease for minority populations. The research includes several aspects of these three processes shown in the following figure:

(1)    Foreign direct investment and trade

(2)    Population and migration

(3)    Inequality and poverty

(4)    Housing, amenities, and built environment

(5)    Food access, diseases, and health

(6)    Energy and society

The research emphasizes the roles and impacts of GIS and big data, science and technology, and innovation on investigating and solving the relevant problems. Current projects of the lab include foreign direct investment, migration and urbanization, and housing and built environment. Details of these projects could be found on the Projects page. Three collaborative projects on inequality, physical activities and health, and housing and transit systems will start this December.