Director: Tae–Hyoung (Tommy) Gim, Ph.D.

Biography

The director of the IPL, Dr. Tommy Gim studies land use–transportation–environment interactions. First, regarding the land use–transportation relationship, he is interested in the impacts that land use patterns (in relation to urban sprawl, compact city, smart growth, transit–oriented development, neo–traditional development, etc.) have on travel behavior as well as their reverse relationship (e.g., changes in land use according to the location of new public transit facilities). Second, as to the transportation–environment relationship, he focuses on the sustainability of nonmotorized modes of transportation (e.g., walk and bike) and influences on them, the environmental friendliness of alternative modes such as electric vehicles, and the impacts of technological development on travel behavior. Third, in terms of the land use–transportation relationship, his research interests lie in how land use affects environmental quality (air pollution, urban heat island effect, etc.), energy use, and public health (e.g., overweight, obesity, and other chronic diseases). At the same time, he has a long–standing interest in quantitative methods in investigating the above–stated topics (e.g., GIS and statistics). Last, he analyzes the practical relevance of planning theories and explores the implications of the analysis for planning education.

Dr. Gim has a B.A. in Geography Education from Korea University and an M.C.P. (Master of City Planning) from Seoul National University. He received his Ph.D. degree in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. During his doctoral studies, he worked at the City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning, the State of Georgia Department of Transportation, and The Seoul Institute Department of Urban Transportation Research. Before coming to Seoul National University, he was an assistant professor of city and regional planning at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

Education

Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning (12/2013)

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Major: Environmental Planning (Land Use–Transportation–Environment Interactions)

Minor: Spatial Analysis (Quantitative Methods and GIS)

Master of City Planning (02/2003)

Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Major: Environmental Management

Bachelor of Arts (08/2000)

Korea University, Seoul, Korea

Major: Geography Education

Academic Experience (Selected)

Assistant Professor and Associate Professor (2015–present)

Department of Environmental Planning

Graduate School of Environmental Studies

Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

Assistant Professor (2014–2015)

Department of City and Regional Planning

College of Environmental Design

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Lecturer (2012–2013)

Department of Geography Education

College of Education

Korea University, Seoul, Korea