Li Yin

Assistant Professor

office : 05B Hayes Annex C
phone : 716 829 5883
e-mail : liyin@buffalo.edu

Education

B.Architecture, Yunnan Polytechnic University, China
M.Sc. (Urban Planning, Land and Housing Development), Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Ph.D. (Design and Planning), University of Colorado, Denver

Courses

Dr. Yin's teaching portfolio reflects her concentration on technological applications in the field of urban and regional planning. She teaches three classes: an undergraduate course, Computing for Environmental Analysis; and two graduate electives, GIS Applications and Planning Support System and Advanced GIS.

Research

Dr. Yin's research focuses on computer technology applications in a wide variety of urban growth issues and inner city redevelopment. She is interested in exploring new tools which enable high level of visualization, simulations, 3-D modeling, and database management to construct scenarios and evaluate alternatives to facilitate better communication and increase the efficiency in the planning process.

Public Service

Dr. Yin actively engages in public service focusing on public health and the built environment in the Buffalo-Niagara Region.

Selected Publications

  • "Modeling Cumulative Effects of Wildfire Hazard Policy and Exurban Household Location Choices: An Application of Agent-based Simulations.” Planning Theory and Practice. Forthcoming.

  • “Food environment, Built Environment, and Women's BMI: Evidence from Erie County, New York” (with Raja, Roemmich, Epstein, and Yadav) Journal of Planning Education and Research, Summer 2010. Forthcoming.

  • “Integrating 3D Visualization and GIS in Planning Education,” Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Forthcoming.
  • “Regional Governance and Wildfire Hazard: Opportunities for Coordinated Risk Assessment and Regional Spatial Accounting” (with Muller). Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 53(1). Forthcoming.
  •  “The Dynamics of Residential Segregation in Buffalo: An Agent-Based Simulation,” Urban Studies 46(13), 2009.
  • “Urbanization and Resort Regions: Creating an Agent-based Simulation of Housing Density in ‘Ski Country’” (with Muller) Journal of Urban Technology, 15(2), 2008
  • "The Dynamics of Land Development in Resort Communities: A Multi-agent Simulation of Growth Regimes and Housing Choice" (with Muller, Kim, and Alexanderescu), Environment and Planning A, 40(7), 2008.
  • “Spatial-temporalVvisualization of Built Environments" (with Shiode) in Kathleen S. Hornsby and May Yuan (eds.) Understanding Dynamics of Geographic Domains, 2008.
  • “Capitalizing on Views: Assessing Visibility Using 3D Visualization and GIS Technologies for Hotel Development in the City of Niagara Falls, USA” (with Hastings), Journal of Urban Technology, 14, 2007.

  • “Assessing Indirect Spatial Effects of Mountain Tourism Development: An Application of Agent-based Spatial Modeling,” Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 37, 2007.

  • “Residential Location and the Biophysical Environment: Exurban Development Agents in a Heterogeneous Landscape” (with Muller), Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 34, 2007.

  • “The Neighborhood and Home Environments: Disparate Relationships with Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in Youth" (with Roemmich, Epstein, and Raja), Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 33(1), 2007.
  •  “Agent-based Simulations for Disaster Decision Support,”Journal of Security Education, 1(4), 2006.
  • “Influence of Access to Parks and Recreational Facilities on the Physical Activity of Young Children" (with Roemmich, Epstein, Raja, Robinson, and Winiewicz), Preventive Medicine, 43(6), 2006.

Selected Activities

National Institute of Health, studying built environment and obesity; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Studying park characteristics that motivate youth physical activity; UB 2020 Scholars Fund, Identifying critical elements of an emerging technology, 3D GIS modeling of an urban environment, University at Buffalo; Interdisciplinary Research and Creative Activities Fund, Studying influence of the built environment and motivation to be active on the physical activity of youth, University at Buffalo.