Huijoo Shon
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My research spans East and Southern Africa, driven by environmental justice and health equity. I study how urbanization and infrastructure shape well-being, with a focus on the spatial and temporal dynamics of energy, water, and sanitation systems. In particular, my work examines how built environments shape everyday access to basic services for households and communities.
I apply geospatial analysis and machine learning to a variety of datasets, including satellite imagery, climate data, and household surveys. My fieldwork also values local knowledge and collaboration with community members. Current projects focus on infrastructure, sharing practices, and conditions that enable safe and reliable services, including energy facilities, water points, toilets, and streets in Kenya and Uganda.
Research Interests: Infrastructure; Energy; Sanitation; Water; Street; Urban form
Education
Present. Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
2022 M.C.P., Graduated School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, KOR
2018 B.S., Dept. of Geography, Konkuk University, Seoul, KOR
Paper
The role of household and community infrastructures in mitigating energy poverty in Africa: Between and within urban and rural areas. 2026. Energy Economics, 154, 109045. Paper (Shon, H. & Lee, H.)
Multilevel social vulnerability and urban health in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for adaptation across household, community, and city levels. 2025. Sustainable cities and society, 126, 106368. Paper , Accepted ver. (Shon, H.)
Urbanicity and child health in 26 sub-Saharan African countries: Settlement type and its association with mortality and morbidity. 2024. Social Science & Medicine, 340, 116401. Paper (Shon, H.)
Spatial pattern of aid allocation in the early 21st century: Evidence from 38 sub-Saharan African countries. 2024. Papers in Regional Science, 103 (3), 100026. Paper (Shon, H., Lee, H., & Kim, B.)
Spatial and temporal patterns of energy aid and poverty in four African countries: Focusing on distributive and recognition energy justice. 2024. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 192, 114261. Paper (Lee, H., & Shon, H.)
Project
2026-present. Identifying invisible streets and pedestrian accessibility in African cities.
2025-present. Detecting mobile home park change and climate hazard exposure: A computer-vision approach.
2025. Community-based design for shared space and infrastructure in African cities. Supported by CFK Africa (Peacock Fellowship) and Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Webb Design Fellowship).Â
2024. Residential vulnerability, climate anomalies and child health in 32 sub-Saharan African countries: Focusing on water, sanitation, housing, and energy from a climate justice perspective. Supported by World Vision Korea (Grant for Graduate Student).
Contact Detail
hjshon@unc.edu
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