Dr. Cheng-Kai (Kai) Hsu

I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University. Working at the intersection of climate sustainability, human mobility, and urban health, my research seeks to advance transportation and environmental planning toward healthier, safer, and more climate-resilient cities.

Using epidemiological methods, scalable data analytics, and emerging sensing technologies, I investigate how environmental exposures—heat, precipitation, air pollution, greenspace, and urban form—shape health and mobility safety, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as older adults, children, and people who walk, cycle, ride motorcycles, or work in transport. Much of this work draws on data from hundreds of cities in Latin America, Taiwan, and the United States, and is part of the SALURBAL-Climate project and the Drexel Research Center on Extreme Weather and Urban Health.

I am also interested in how transportation and climate policies—fleet electrification, active travel, urban greening, and safer street design—can reduce exposure to air pollution and heat, improve population health, and narrow environmental inequities. Earlier work examined how algorithmic incentives and heat jointly shape risky riding among on-demand food-delivery motorcyclists.

Before joining ASU, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley, where I also completed my PhD in City and Regional Planning. I hold an MSc in Transport from Imperial College London and a BS in Urban Planning from National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

Position

Assistant Professor, Arizona State University

Previously

Postdoctoral Researcher, ITS Berkeley

Education

PhD, City & Regional Planning, UC Berkeley
Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Science, UC Berkeley
MSc, Transport, Imperial College London
BS, Urban Planning, National Cheng Kung University

ASU SGSUP is recruiting doctoral students through the PhD in Urban Planning, PhD in Geography, and PhD in Geographic Information Science programs.

For current openings at SGSUP, application instructions, and funding opportunities, please see the school's Faculty Recruiting Doctoral Students page. If you are interested in working with me, please mention it in your application—SGSUP asks applicants to identify a potential faculty advisor.

Faculty Recruiting Doctoral Students