From Exclusion to Belonging: Data-Driven Strategies for Sustainable Urban Communities

可持续城市社区的数据驱动策略

主    讲：Helen Bao（剑桥大学土地经济系）

主    持：肖超伟（中国人民大学国家发展与战略研究院）

时    间：2025年7月25日10:00-10:45

地    点：立德教学楼11层1133会议室

报告摘要：

This talk provides an overview of two ongoing interdisciplinary research projects at the Lab for Interdisciplinary Spatial Analysis (LISA), University of Cambridge. LISA’s research reimagines urban futures through an interdisciplinary lens, tackling exclusion with cutting-edge data science. The first project investigates housing discrimination using a multi-methods framework, combining experimental techniques (e.g., correspondence testing) with large-scale observational data. Findings reveal persistent racial and gender biases in housing markets, shaped by colonial legacies and socio-cultural perceptions. This work not only advances academic understanding but also informs policy interventions to promote inclusive urban development. The second project pioneers AI-augmented spatial personality research, leveraging social media data and large language models (LLMs) to analyze personality traits (e.g., Openness, Neuroticism) at unprecedented resolution. This scalable, cost-efficient method replaces traditional surveys, enabling real-time insights for applications in urban planning, behavioral geography, and housing market dynamics. By integrating economics, psychology, and spatial analysis, LISA’s research offers actionable tools for policymakers and opens avenues for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The talk concludes with reflections on future directions, including cross-cultural validation and policy integration, inviting potential partners to explore joint initiatives in addressing urban inequalities and sustainable development.

报告人简介：

Dr. Helen Bao is a Professor of Urban Economics & Public Policy at the Department of Land Economy and a Fellow in Land Economy at the Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She is also the Director of the Lab of Interdisciplinary Spatial Analysis. After completing her PhD in Statistics at the City University of Hong Kong, Helen joined the University of Cambridge in 2006. Helen's research focuses on government policy and interventions that facilitate market operations and mitigate market failures in urban settings, such as sustainable urbanization and housing affordability. On the technical front, she specializes in the application of behavioral insights and hedonic price modelling in land and housing markets. Helen's new book, " Behavioral Economic Analysis of Institutional Changes: Lessons learned from China's Land System Reforms," pushes the research frontier of behavioral urban studies. Helen has published extensively on the application of behavioral insights in real estate markets in Urban Studies, Regional Sciences, Land Use Policy, Housing Studies, Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Cities, Transport and Research Part F - Traffic Psychology and Behavior, among others. Helen's research has received grants from the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. She is an Associate Editor of Cities and an editorial board member of key journals in the area of urban studies, such as Land Use Policy.