Our people
Meet the academics and researchers who are passionate about shaping better cities through data-driven research, urban science, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Our team brings together expertise in property, planning, architecture, environmental science, data analytics, and public health—working collectively to tackle complex urban challenges and create more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban futures.
Our transdisciplinary team
Associate Professor William Cheung, Co-director
Leads: Housing Markets and Urban Policy
Dr William Cheung is an Associate Professor at the Business School with expertise in real estate economics and urban analytics. His research focuses on the spatial dynamics of property markets and the application of data science in urban studies. Dr Cheung has contributed to understanding how technological advancements and policy interventions impact urban development and housing markets.
Associate Professor Edward Yiu, Co-director
Leads: Retail Geography and Valuation
Dr Edward Yiu is an Associate Professor at the Business School specialising in urban economics, housing markets, spatial data analytics and retail geography. His research employs advanced property analytics to explore real estate market dynamics and policy implications. With over 22 years of research experience, he has published extensively on topics such as retail catchment analysis, housing affordability, and urban resilience.
Dr I-Ting Chuang
Leads: Urban Design and Public Space
Dr I-Ting Chuang is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Architecture and Planning specialising in urban design and spatial analytics. Her research emphasises design informatics in urban geography, focusing on data analytics and the spatial quality of public spaces. Dr Chuang has practised architecture and urban design in New York and Taiwan and integrates her professional experience into her academic work.
Dr Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka
Leads: Mobility and Spatiotemporal Modelling
Dr Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka is a Senior Lecturer in Geographic Information Science (GIS) at the School of Environment. Her research spans GIScience, spatial data science, urban analytics, spatial statistics, and modeling. She focuses on developing spatiotemporal analytics to study human movement and its interaction with urban and natural environments, addressing challenges such as disease spread, traffic intensity, and service accessibility.
Affiliated researchers and academic partners
Maurice Mann Chair in Real Estate | Co-Chair, Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, UC Berkeley
Professor of Urban Economics and Public Policy, University of Cambridge
Real Estate Foundation Professorship in Real Estate Finance at University of British Columbia
CUHK Business School, Co-Director of the Centre for Hospitality and Real Estate Research
Director of COMPASS, Faculty of Arts, University of Auckland
Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Associate Professor Lee Beattie
School of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering and Design
Professor of Māori Management and Associate Dean Māori, University of Auckland
Head and Associate Professor of the Science Unit at Lingnan University
Associate Dean of External Engagement, University of Auckland Business School