Urban Design Science for Health Lab

Welcome to the official homepage of the Urban Design Science for Health Lab, a research platform advancing scientific approaches to contemporary urban challenges. Founded and led by Professor Javad KOOHSARI, the lab is internationally recognised for its cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of urban design science and public health. Prof KOOHSARI holds a PhD in Urban Design (the University of Melbourne, Australia) and a second PhD in Health and Sport Sciences (Waseda University, Japan). His research focuses on developing scientific methods to investigate how the spatial structure of cities influences population health. He applies spatial analysis, epidemiological modelling, and artificial intelligence (AI)–based computational techniques to generate evidence addressing current and emerging challenges in urban systems.

His ongoing work focuses on several key areas, including quantitative urban morphology, spatial parametric modelling for health-supportive urban design, and AI-assisted simulations for age-friendly cities. A particular emphasis is placed on high-density urban contexts undergoing rapid demographic and infrastructural transformation. These research themes align with emerging urban research and policy priorities across Asia, especially in countries such as Japan and China, where population ageing, health equity, and the application of AI-driven spatial approaches are increasingly recognised as strategic components of urban governance and planning.

The Urban Design Science for Health Lab, which he established and leads, is among the few research laboratories globally that advance urban design as a scientific discipline. The lab conducts evidence-based studies, often integrating AI, urban informatics, and geospatial analytics, to examine how urban form, governance, and spatial patterns affect health, especially in relation to non-communicable diseases and ageing populations.

Through international collaboration and interdisciplinary research, the lab contributes to building a scientific foundation for health-supportive urban design. Its research has informed institutional agendas, supported policy development, and advanced methodological innovation at the intersection of urban design, data, and health.

Research and Expertise Keywords: Urban design science, public health, AI in urban design, parametric urban modelling, AI-assisted spatial strategies, data-driven urban modelling, AI in urban governance, spatial epidemiology, urban analytics, urban informatics, empirical urban research, quantitative urban morphology, non-communicable diseases, ageing populations, healthy ageing, space syntax, neighbourhood walkability, public open spaces, health inequalities, high-density cities, urban health in Asia, urban health analytics, urban health resilience, cross-disciplinary urban research, evidence-based urban policy.

Prof Javad KOOHSARI, PhD (Urban Design), PhD (Health & Sport Science)

Founder & Director, Urban Design Science for Health Lab

JAIST University, Japan

Top 2% Scientist (Stanford/Elsevier Global List, 2021–2025)

Note: Senior academic leaders interested in confidential discussions regarding long-term collaboration or institutional alignment are welcome to contact Professor KOOHSARI directly.

Email: koohsari jaist.ac.jp

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