Keun Park: Assistant Professor at Department of Forest Resources Management, UBC Faculty of Forestry

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Forestry

Research Classification

Smart city design and development and related analysis

Landscape studies (except architecture)

Urban design and studies

Geographic information system (GIS and GPS) applications

Land transportation systems engineering, n.e.c.

Research Interests

Design of healthy, just, and resilient cities through urban nature

Environmental justice

Human behaviour

Landscape planning

Public health

urban design

urban forestry

Urban planning

Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs

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Research Options

I am available and interested in collaborations (e.g. clusters, grants).

I am interested in and conduct interdisciplinary research.

I am interested in working with undergraduate students on research projects.

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Research Methodology

behavioural research

spatial econometrics

GIS

Case Studies

quasi-experimental

Statistics

Recruitment

Looking to recruit:

Master's students

Doctoral students

Desired start dates: Any time / year round

Potential research project areas:

1. Effective monitoring of urban parks and forests usage

Overall research question: How can we monitor and predict the usage dynamics in urban parks and greenways in a reliable and efficient way?
Skills/interests needed: digital technology (sensors, drones, etc.), computer programming (python, R, SQL, etc.), machine learning algorithms, observational research

2. Role of urban forestry in urban developments

Overall research question: What are the role and impacts of urban forestry design and planning in sustainable urban developments?
Skills/interests needed: urban planning and design, mixed-methods research (case studies, quasi-experiments, statistical analysis)

3. Access to urban parks and forests of varying sizes and forms

Overall research question: How do we connect low-mobility populations (e.g., children, older adults, people with disabilities, low-income people) with different sizes and types of urban parks and forests?
Skills/interests needed: GIS, statistics, multidisciplinary interests (forest management, environmental justice, urban design and planning, transportation, etc.)

Other options:

I support public scholarship, e.g. through the Public Scholars Initiative, and am available to supervise students and Postdocs interested in collaborating with external partners as part of their research.

I support experiential learning experiences, such as internships and work placements, for my graduate students and Postdocs.

I am open to hosting Visiting International Research Students (non-degree, up to 12 months).

I am interested in hiring Co-op students for research placements.

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Graduate Student Supervision

Master's Student Supervision

Theses completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest theses.

Promoting sustainable and equitable access to parks: a study of transit-to-parks initiatives and user perceptions (2024)

In response to increasing sustainability challenges and the critical need for equitable park access, this thesis investigates the development of Transit-to-Parks (T2P) initiatives that link public transit to natural areas across Canada, and analyzes factors influencing park visitors' transportation choices in Metro Vancouver. The thesis employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative insights gathered from semi-structured interviews with ten Transit-to- Parks (T2P) initiative practitioners and quantitative analyses of 430 park-user survey responses.The research uncovers three motivations for T2P initiatives: parking and traffic congestion, environmental impacts of traffic, and equity considerations. It highlights key facilitators such as policy advocacy, partnerships, and community engagement in the successful implementation of T2P initiatives while also pointing out challenges, including limited funding and labor shortages, inadequate infrastructure, and siloed agencies. Furthermore, analysis of park visitors' mode choices indicates that socio-demographic and trip-related factors significantly influence the decision to use sustainable transport options for park visits. These findings suggest that targeted infrastructure improvements, policy interventions, and planning efforts are essential to reducing car dependency and fostering a shift toward more sustainable transportation modes.This thesis contributes to the discourse on urban planning, green equity, transportation equity, and recreational management, offering practical insights for transit agencies, urban planners, and policymakers aiming to improve park accessibility through sustainable transportation. It advocates for the integration of transportation planning with park access strategies to foster more sustainable, equitable urban environments.

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