Dr Hyung-Chul Chung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). He received his PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida, USA, following earlier training in Urban Planning and Development Management at Hanyang University and Architectural Engineering at Hongik University. He has worked across academia, policy research and higher-education leadership in the United States, South Korea and China. He is a member of Urban Lab at UPD

His research sits at the intersection of urban planning, transportation, artificial intelligence and human behaviour, with a particular interest in understanding how emerging technologies can contribute to more accessible, equitable, safe and liveable cities. Rather than treating mobility as a purely engineering problem, his work examines how transportation systems interact with the built environment, human perception, social inequality, health, ageing, housing and everyday urban life.

A major strand of his recent research develops and applies artificial intelligence and advanced quantitative methods to urban mobility and spatial problems. His work uses machine learning, explainable AI, computer vision, deep learning, spatial econometrics, network analysis, street-view imagery and large language models to study public transport, ride-hailing, autonomous mobility, cycling, road safety, travel behaviour and urban accessibility. Recent studies have examined, among other topics, LLM decision-making in autonomous-vehicle ethical dilemmas, explainable machine learning for metro–bus interchange, graph neural networks for new-energy bus charging infrastructure, EEG-based driver-fatigue detection, and platform-induced behavioural adaptation among ride-hailing drivers.

Increasingly, his research investigates the emerging relationship between AI, cities and society. His current work explores multimodal foundation models and LLM-based urban agents capable of integrating street imagery, mobility networks, POIs, travel trajectories, behavioural information and human perceptions. A particular focus is how such systems can support older adults and mobility-disadvantaged groups. His developing “Silver Cities, Smart Streets” research agenda connects age-sensitive 15-minute neighbourhoods, multimodal urban AI, household mobility decision-making, socially assistive technologies and embodied intelligence. The proposed Silver-MLLM framework seeks to connect city-level spatial intelligence with older adults, caregivers, community services and intelligent robotic assistance.

This direction builds upon a substantial body of research on age-friendly cities, accessibility and the 15-minute city. His research on older adults’ community-life-circle accessibility demonstrated how conventional measures of proximity can overstate actual accessibility when age-adjusted walking speeds and street-level environmental conditions are considered. Related research investigates metro–bus interchange among older adults and the relationship between accessibility, service provision, street environments and everyday mobility. His 2025 Cities paper on the 15-minute community life circle for older people has been identified in his research records as an ESI highly cited paper.

His research has appeared in leading international journals including Cities, Journal of Transport Geography, Accident Analysis & Prevention, Analytic Methods in Accident Research, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Travel Behaviour and Society, Land Use Policy, Journal of Environmental Management, Current Issues in Tourism, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, and Housing Policy Debate. His work includes several ESI top-1% highly cited papers and spans collaborations across transportation, urban studies, public health, psychology, tourism, engineering and artificial intelligence.

In addition to publications, Dr Chung has actively contributed to building interdisciplinary research conversations around artificial intelligence and cities. In January 2026, he organised “Urban AI: Transitioning Cities, Shaping Futures – Comparative Perspectives on China, Korea, and the U.S.” and in April co-organised “AI and the Future City.” In 2026, Dr Chung expanded his international editorial service. He serves as a guest editor of the International Journal of Urban Sciences and joined the Editorial Board of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. These appointments complement his extensive reviewing activities across urban studies, transport, geography, sustainability and built-environment journals.

Alongside academic publications, Dr Chung is interested in translating research into digital tools and applied urban intelligence. He led the development of Urban Sensing Scoring Software V1.0, registered with the China Copyright Protection Center in 2024, and has been developing human-perception and AI-supported urban analytical tools. In 2026, he received support for the project “An LLM-Based Elderly-to-Clinic Linkage Platform: A HeXie Management Pilot in the X-Eco Mall Silver-Economy Sub-Ecosystem,” further extending this work into the silver economy and AI-supported access to health and community services.

Beyond research, Dr Chung has undertaken extensive academic leadership in learning and teaching. He has served in senior Design School roles including Associate/Acting Associate Dean of Learning and Teaching and Acting School Dean, with responsibilities spanning curriculum development, assessment, Boards of Examiners, academic quality assurance, and coordination with the University of Liverpool. More recently, he has played an leading role in the Design School’s Internal Periodic Review (IPR), subsequent School action planning, curriculum transformation and the development of new interdisciplinary programmes. IPR happens every 6 years to thoroughly review the performance of the school. These activities form part of a broader School transition towards stronger integration of sustainability, AI, interdisciplinarity and industry relevance—areas explicitly recognised in the 2026 IPR findings.

His educational work particularly focuses on research-led and AI-enhanced learning, connecting spatial analysis, data analytics, urban fieldwork and emerging AI methods with real-world urban problems. In 2026, he received the Design School Education Leadership Award, Design School Teaching Excellence Award, and second place in XJTLU’s Research-Led Teaching Competition, following the Design School Research Excellence Award in 2024.

Dr Chung welcomes collaboration with researchers, governments, industry partners and prospective doctoral researchers interested in AI and cities, intelligent mobility, LLM-based urban systems, transport and land-use integration, age-friendly cities, spatial analytics, transport equity and human-centred smart-city applications.

Dr Chung places strong emphasis on developing independent researchers. His four principal-supervised PhD graduates have progressed into competitive academic and professional careers in academia and industry.

Completed PhD Supervision — Principal Supervisor

Yuqing Zhang — PhD completed 2024 (assistant professor currently in China)
Unequal School, School District and Residential Segregation in Suzhou, China

Yueming Yang — PhD completed 2024
Housing Submarkets for Families with School-Age Children: Submarket Choices and Neighbourhood Dynamics in Suzhou, China

Xiaohan Yu — PhD completed 2026 (assistant professor currently in China)
Accessibility, Congestion, and Air Pollution in the Housing Market in Suzhou, China

Zhonghui Jiang — PhD completed 2026 (Postdoc at Sun-Yat Sen University)
Research focusing on 15-minute community life circles, accessibility, spatial inequality and urban built environments.

PhD, Research Assistant and Visiting Researcher Enquiries

Prospective PhD students, visiting researchers and research collaborators are welcome to contact Dr Chung regarding projects in:

• AI and LLMs for cities and mobility;
• multimodal urban intelligence;
• smart and autonomous mobility;
• travel behaviour and transport equity;
• age-friendly cities and 15-minute communities;
• AI-supported mobility for older adults;
• explainable AI and spatial analytics;
• street-view imagery and urban perception;
• transport safety;
• platform mobility and ride-hailing;
• land-use and transport integration.

Applicants with backgrounds in urban planning, transportation, geography, computer science, AI, data science, engineering, architecture or related disciplines are particularly welcome.

Students interested in interdisciplinary research combining urban problems with advanced quantitative or AI methods are encouraged to make contact.

Contact: HYUNGCHUL.CHUNG@xjtlu.edu.cn

AI, LLMs and Human-Centred Urban Intelligence

Large language models; multimodal AI; computer vision; Urban AI; AI agents; explainable AI; human-AI interaction; spatial intelligence.

Featured research

Xu, Z., Sengar, N., Chen, T., Chung, H., & Oviedo-Trespalacios, O. (2025). Where Is Morality on Wheels? Decoding Large Language Model (LLM)-Driven Decision in the Ethical Dilemmas of Autonomous Vehicles. Travel Behaviour and Society, 40, 101039.

Liu, Y., Chen, T., Chung, H., Jang, K., & Xu, P. (2025). Is there an emotional dimension to road safety? A spatial analysis for traffic crashes considering streetscape perception and the built environment. Analytic Methods in Accident Research, 46, 100374.

Smart Mobility and Travel Behaviour

Future mobility; autonomous mobility; public transport; metro-bus interchange; ride-hailing; ride-pooling; shared mobility; transport accessibility.

Featured research

Lee, E., Lee, J., Chung, H., & Lu, Y. (2026). Anticipation of urban mobility futures beyond adoption: User segmentation across scenarios in two pioneering Chinese cities. Cities, 171, 106787.

Zhuang, C., Gu, T., Kim, I., Chung, H., & Zhang, K. (2026). Platform-induced time-space trade-offs in ride-hailing: Multi-homing as a response to operational constraints. Journal of Transport Geography, 131, 104533.

Age-Friendly Cities and 15-Minute Communities

Ageing and mobility; walking accessibility; 15-minute city; community life circles; service accessibility; transport disadvantage; healthy ageing.

Featured research

Jiang, Z., Wu, C., & Chung, H. (2025). The 15-minute community life circle for older people: Walkability measurement based on service accessibility and street-level built environment—A case study of Suzhou, China. Cities, 157, 105587.

Chung, H., Gu, T., Zhang, K., Kim, I., Wang, X., & Cheng, L. (2026). What makes older adults transfer? Built environment drivers of metro–bus interchange: A case of Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 101814.

Transport Safety, Human Perception and Behaviour

Road safety; cycling safety; streetscape perception; driver fatigue; behavioural data; interpretable deep learning.

Featured research

Cao, Y., Chen, T., Han, K., Chung, H., Huang, Z., & Ding, H. (2026). SET-DGCN: An end-to-end electroencephalography-based fatigue detection method for young drivers. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 225, 108311.

Zhou, Y., Cao, Y., Chung, H., Guo, H., Sze, N. N., & Chen, T. (2025). Does brain connectivity hold the key to safer roads? EEG-based fatigue detection in young drivers using interpretable deep learning. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 223, 108251.

Urban Equity, Housing and Wellbeing

Residential segregation; housing markets; urban regeneration; environmental justice; social equity; life satisfaction; land banking.

Featured research

Zhang, Y., & Chung, H. (2025). Policy-constrained parental choice and school district segregation: Evidence from local and migrant families in Suzhou, China. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

Lee, J. E., Chung, H., & Park, Y. (2025). From blight to boon: The impact of land banking programs on adjacent property values in Detroit, US. Cities, 165, 106112.

Selected Recent Publications

2026

Dong, C., Wu, C., Chung, H., Jian, S., & Chen, T. (2026). When safety is not free: mitigating the transportation pink tax through safety-oriented policy interventions. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 213, 105230.

Chung, H., Gu, T., Zhang, K., Kim, I., Wang, X., & Cheng, L. (2026). What makes older adults transfer? Built environment drivers of metro–bus interchange: A case of Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 101814.

Liu, T., Yang, C., Chung, H., Zhu, M., Han, K., & Ding, H. (2026). How can public concerns shape eVTOL policy design? A knowledge graph-enhanced large language model (LLM) framework. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 212, 105185.

Lee, E., Lee, J., Chung, H., & Lu, Y. (2026). Anticipation of urban mobility futures beyond adoption: User segmentation across scenarios in two pioneering Chinese cities. Cities, 171, 106787.

Zhuang, C., Gu, T., Kim, I., Chung, H., & Zhang, K. (2026). Platform-induced time-space trade-offs in ride-hailing: Multi-homing as a response to operational constraints. Journal of Transport Geography, 131, 104533.

Park, Y., Lee, J. E., Chung, H., Newman, G. D., & Gim, T. H. T. (2026). Exploring land banking, perceived neighborhood conditions, and social capital: A case of Detroit, Michigan, USA. Land Use Policy, 161, 107858.

Cao, Y., Chen, T., Han, K., Chung, H., Huang, Z., & Ding, H. (2026). SET-DGCN: An end-to-end electroencephalography-based fatigue detection method for young drivers. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 225, 108311.

Vichnevetskaia, A., Manley, A., Chung, H., & Wang, Y. W. (2026). Maximising destination branding outcomes: Social media's role in the digital tourism journey. International Journal of Tourism Cities.

2025

Gu, T., Zhu, M., Jiao, J., & Chung, H. (2025). Regional optimization of new-energy bus charging stations using a hybrid model integrating graph convolutional networks and simulated annealing. Journal of Transport Geography, 128, 104382.

Xu, W., Gu, T., Chung, H., et al. (2025). The multimodal dynamics of ride-pooling and metro: Spatial-temporal patterns from East Asia. Journal of Transport Geography, 127, 104295.

Jiang, Z., Gu, T., Zhang, J., Chung, H., & Kim, I. (2025). Carbon Savings in Ride-Pooling: A Data-Driven, Route-based Analysis from East Asia. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 144, 104764.

Xu, Z., Sengar, N., Chen, T., Chung, H., & Oviedo-Trespalacios, O. (2025). Where Is Morality on Wheels? Decoding Large Language Model (LLM)-Driven Decision in the Ethical Dilemmas of Autonomous Vehicles. Travel Behaviour and Society, 40, 101039.

Zhuang, C., Gu, T., Chung, H., Zhu, M., & Yonto, D. (2025). Spatial-temporal insights into gender gaps in East Asian ride-hailing: Workload, efficiency, nighttime safety, and operational patterns. Journal of Transport Geography, 125, 104213.

Liu, Y., Chen, T., Chung, H., Jang, K., & Xu, P. (2025). Is there an emotional dimension to road safety? A spatial analysis for traffic crashes considering streetscape perception and the built environment. Analytic Methods in Accident Research, 46, 100374.

Jiang, Z., Wu, C., & Chung, H. (2025). The 15-minute community life circle for older people: Walkability measurement based on service accessibility and street-level built environment—A case study of Suzhou, China. Cities, 157, 105587.

Gu, T., Zhang, K., Xu, W., et al., & Chung, H. (2025). Free interchange for better transit? Assessing the multi-dimensional impacts on metro-to-bus interchange behavior—insights from an explainable machine learning method. Travel Behaviour and Society, 38, 100923.

Zhang, Y., & Chung, H. (2025). Policy-constrained parental choice and school district segregation: Evidence from local and migrant families in Suzhou, China. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.

Find more publications in my google scholar.

Associate Professor, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University - 2021 to present

Assistant Professor, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University - 2016 to 2021

Principal Researcher, Korea Research Institute of Housing Management - 2015 to 2016

Postdoctoral Associate, University of Florida - 2014 to 2014

Researcher, Urban Governance and Management Research Institute - 2008 to 2009

Dr Chung's teaching philosophy is based on research-led, data-driven and problem-based learning. He integrates real-world urban problems, fieldwork, spatial data, AI and quantitative analytical methods into teaching so that students learn not only how to use emerging technologies, but also how to critically evaluate their assumptions, limitations and social consequences.

His current educational work particularly explores how AI can support—rather than replace—disciplinary reasoning, and how students in planning and design can develop the combination of spatial thinking, quantitative literacy, critical judgement and AI literacy increasingly required by future professions.

DES105 Introduction to Design Languages and Artificial Intelligence

CDE409/DES406 Dissertation

CDE408/UPD408 Spatial Analysis Visualization

CDE403/UPD408 Finance and Governance of Urban Regeneration

CDE311/UPD311 Planning and Property Development

CDE305/DES302 Final Year Project (Year 4 Dissertation)

CDE304 International Planning Studies

CDE204/UPD204 Geographic Inforamtion Systems

UPD203 Network and Cities

CDE109 History and Purpose of Planning

CDE107 Planning in the UK

CDE105/UPD105 Urban and Environmental Economics

CDE102 Contemporary Planning in North America and Europe

CDE002 Introduction to Urban Planning and Design

CDE001 Urban Terminology

History of Urban Planning, Hanbat University, 2015

Preview of Urban Planning, University of Florida, 2013

Urban Land Economics, University of Florida, 2012

2026 — Second Place, XJTLU Research-Led Teaching Competition
2026 — Education Leadership Award, Design School, XJTLU
2026 — Teaching Excellence Award, Design School, XJTLU
2024 — Research Excellence Award, Design School, XJTLU
2017 — Third Outstanding Achievement Award of Applied Social Science Projects, Second Place, City of Suzhou
2014 — Peter Kanavos, Sr. Memorial Award for Real Estate Development, University of Florida
2013 — Graduate School Dissertation Scholarship Award, University of Florida
2012 — I-Cubed Graduate Student Teaching Award, University of Florida / NSF programme
2008 — Excellence Award, Research Thesis Competition, Gyeonggi Research Institute