Dr. Lin Lin is an exchange research scholar at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, and an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Design at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China. She is also an adjunct faculty member in Geography & Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Dr. Lin's research spans diverse geographic regions, including Southeast Asia, China, and the United States, focusing on the intersection of the built environment, human behavior, and public health. Her work encompasses a wide range of urban and rural contexts. In Southeast Asia, she has studied physical activity patterns in rural Lao PDR communities, examining how farming seasons and activity spaces influence public health. In China, her research includes assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on restaurant closures and investigating the effects of urban forms on neighborhood activity spaces. Dr. Lin has also contributed to urban research in the U.S., focusing on transportation safety, pedestrian collisions, and active commuting patterns. Her interdisciplinary research aims to foster healthier, more sustainable urban environments by promoting active lifestyles and integrating ecological well-being into urban planning.
Dr. Lin teaches courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels, covering urban planning, sustainability, and research methods. Fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, she completed her Ph.D. in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington in 2010 after earning dual master’s degrees in public administration and urban planning.
