Yoonhee Jung

I am an urban geographer with a multidisciplinary background in Architecture, Urban Studies, and Geography, focusing on urban sustainability in Asia. My research examines how to create not only greener but also more equitable environments by promoting a balanced approach to sustainability in the Asian context. Specifically, I explore the urban politics of sustainability planning in Asian cities, with an emphasis on climate change challenges and social justice.

My doctoral research investigated the political dynamics shaping sustainability decision-making in Seoul. Through a mixed-method analysis of the planning processes and outcomes of three urban megaprojects, I examined how rapid socio-economic transformations—such as globalization, privatization, and democratization—have influenced sustainability policies in South Korea and broader Asian contexts.

Before joining the Department, I taught courses on sustainability and urban environments as an Adjunct Professor at Temple University, USA, and served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. At NUS, I contributed to the Heat in Urban Asia: Past, Present, and Future project. Currently, I am part of the Integrated Volcano and Earthquake Science and Technology in Southeast Asia project, which seeks a holistic understanding of geological disasters and their underlying processes, aiming to evaluate their impacts on urban resilience and sustainable development in Southeast Asian cities.

EDUCATION:

PhD in Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, USA

Master of Urban and Regional Planning, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, USA

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

RESEARCH AREAS:

• Urban Politics around Sustainability Planning in Asia
• Disaster Management and Resilience
• Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation
• Just Sustainability

TEACHING AREAS:

• Sustainable Cities
• Urban Environment
• Sustainable Environments
• Digital Mapping

PUBLICATIONS:

• Jung, Y. (2024). Urban Heat Island in Transformation of Singapore. Urban Studies, 61(15), 2908- 2927. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980231217391
• Jung, Y. (2023). A move towards just sustainability: transformation of discourses around urban sustainability planning in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Local Environment, 28(3), 347-364.
• Jung, Y. (2023). Social Sustainability in Urban Areas: Urban Innovation and Just Cities. Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy, 12(2), 229-245.
• Kim, H. Jung, Y., Oh, J (2019). Transformation of Urban Heat Island in the Three-Center City of Seoul, South Korea: The Role of Master Plans, South Korea, Land Use Policy, 86, 328-338.
• Kim, H., & Jung, Y. (2019). Is Cheonggyecheon sustainable? A systematic literature review of a stream restoration in Seoul, South Korea. Sustainable cities and society, 45, 59-69.
• Conley, B., Falk, J., Hawes, T., Jung, Y., Kim, G., Maggiotto, T. Jr, Takahashi, N., Wright, T. (2011). Room at the Table: Food System Assessment of Erie County. Buffalo, NY: University of Buffalo Department of Urban and Regional Planning