People

Faculty Lead

Keunhyun Park, Ph.D. (he/him)

Associate Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management

Dr. Keunhyun (Keun) Park is an Associate Professor of Urban Forestry at the University of British Columbia and leads the Urban Nature Design Research Lab. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in urban planning and design from the University of Utah. Before joining UBC, he was an assistant professor at Utah State University.

With an interdisciplinary background in landscape architecture and urban planning, his research examines how urban nature shapes people’s daily lives. Using spatial data analytics and behavioural approaches, he studies how people access and experience parks and green spaces, and how design and planning decisions influence those patterns. His work aims to inform healthier, more just, and resilient cities.

Outside of work, he enjoys running, hiking, camping, and spending time with his family.

CV (updated Jul. 2026) | Google Scholar | keun.park@ubc.ca |

Current Graduate Students

Asim Khanal (he/him)

Ph.D. Candidate in Forestry

Asim Khanal is an urban planner and researcher interested in understanding how diverse user groups experience urban blue-green spaces. He intends to push the theoretical interpretation and practical implementation of ‘access’ by integrating the dimensions of vision and touch. In his doctoral dissertation, he also uses third-party big data to estimate spatiotemporal use dynamics of urban blue-green spaces or public spaces along shorelines.

Asim completed his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India and an M.Sc. in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure from the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, which was opened in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has worked as an Urban Planner, a freelance consultant, and a volunteer for federal, provincial, and local governments in multiple countries, including Nepal, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

In his leisure time, he likes camping, swimming in freshwater lakes, and composing music. He has also written a handful of newspaper articles and blogs on Medium and used to run a political satire page.

Google Scholar | akhanal7@ubc.ca | |

Yiyang Wang (she/her)

Ph.D. Candidate in Forestry | Master of Science in Forestry (2022-2024)

Yiyang Wang is a PhD student in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. She has a background in urban forestry and completed her master’s studies in the UNDER Lab. Yiyang is passionate about urban planning and environmental justice. Her research focuses on promoting equitable access to urban public spaces through mixed-method approaches that connect communities to urban nature via diverse travel modes, holistic planning, and inclusive urban design. In 2023, Yiyang worked as a UBC Sustainability Scholar for Metro Vancouver, and in 2025 she served as a Knowledge Exchange Coordinator with UBC Campus and Community Planning on SEEDS’ initiatives. Beyond her academic work, Yiyang is also an accomplished landscape and portrait photographer.

Google Scholar | yiyang.wang@ubc.ca |

Sasha Rodriguez (she/her)

Master of Science in Forestry

Sasha Rodriguez has a background in urban forestry and transportation, with a strong focus on making cities more inclusive—especially for older adults. She’s led a number of initiatives to improve transportation accessibility, helping seniors stay connected to their communities while pushing for broader systemic change. Her work is driven by a deep interest in how access to nature supports both physical and mental well-being, and the need for inclusive, integrated urban spaces.

For her master’s, Sasha is exploring transportation accessibility through an innovative photovoice methodology, examining the barriers and facilitators that affect older adults’ access to urban parks.

In her free time, Sasha loves being outdoors—whether at the beach or in the forest—making pottery, or walking her dog.

sarod@student.ubc.ca |

Ziqi Cui

Ph.D. student in Forestry

Ziqi Cui is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on developing computational approaches for understanding and representing human experience in urban environments. She is particularly interested in how advances in artificial intelligence, including computer vision, multimodal learning, and spatial representation learning, can move urban analysis beyond physical form and incorporate perceptual, behavioural, and contextual dimensions of place. Her broader goal is to develop human-centred computational models that can support the analysis and design of more inclusive urban environments.

Before joining UBC, Ziqi completed her MSc at Politecnico di Milano and worked as a research fellow on several EU-funded projects. Her previous research examined urban perception and walkability using street-view imagery, graph neural networks, virtual reality, and large language models. Her interdisciplinary academic training spans architecture, GIS, and computational design. Outside of research, Ziqi enjoys citywalking, working out, and gaming.

ziqicui@student.ubc.ca | Google Scholar |

Research Assistants

Shimiao Wang

Work Learn Project Assistant (Climate-Adaptive Aging Study)

Shimiao is completing her master’s degree in Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology at UBC, where she has received academic training in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. Her research experience includes psychometrics and statistical analysis, with a particular interest in applying research methods to questions related to health and well-being.

In her free time, Shimiao enjoys going to the gym, playing tennis, and exploring Vancouver’s parks and hiking trails.

Richelle Chong

Work Learn Project Assistant (FATE Study)

Richelle Chong is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Urban Studies program at the University of British Columbia. Her academic interests and research background focus on aging and its intersections with public health, mobility, and place-making. She is particularly interested in understanding lived experiences through ethnographic and participatory methods, and in planning for resilient and age-friendly communities.

In her free time, Richelle enjoys going on long walks in the city, exploring new places, and trying out new recipes.