Ongoing Opportunity:

Research at UNDER LAB, UBC

@Dr. Keunhyun Park
Director, Urban Nature Design Research Lab

Dr. Park and I are seeking a work-learn student at UBC as a project assistant from Sep 2023 – April 2024.

Job Description:

Urban planners, transportation engineers, and park managers lack systematic tools to monitor and predict the usage of urban parks and greenways. Measuring the usage patterns of urban nature is a prerequisite to understanding which factors (e.g., design, program, neighbourhood conditions) are associated with the success of the place. Such monitoring data can contribute to a better understanding of how to improve urban residents’ exposure to nature and well-being.

This project aims to design the experiment for monitoring the volume of visitors and classifying their initial activities in urban green space (UGS) by leveraging Raspberry Pi devices equipped with cameras and Bluetooth technology. The devices will be used in parks for the purpose of volume counting and activity classification under different environmental conditions. Compared with the traditional methods, we compare the accuracy and reliability of multimodal perception technologies and plan to establish the applicability of these techniques in a broader context.

The position is anticipated to work 10 hours per week from September to April.

Description of Duties:

• Review the literature on vision and sensor-based human-nature interaction monitoring (e.g., smartphones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, image/video detection etc.)
• Communicate with lab members and join the discussion
• Assist in designing and installing the Raspberry Pi devices
• Assist in initial data collecting (image/video, and Bluetooth signal tracking) and establishing GIS models
• Create basic data visualizations such as trajectory mapping and crowd distribution heat maps, and generate descriptive statistics
• Assist in the preparation of presentations and writing up the results

Work Setting: combination of remote and on-site

Number of Openings: 1

Qualifications:

This position is open to advanced undergraduate or graduate students with a background in urban forestry, urban planning, landscape architecture, computer science, or related fields. Desired qualifications include:

• Passion for urban green space planning/urban design and state-of-the-art technologies
• Experience with sensor programming (e.g., Raspberry Pi)
• Enjoys hands-on and practical work
• Able to use GIS mapping and analysis software (e.g., ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) and willing to expand upon these skills
• Well-organized and skilled in project management
• A self-starter who can work with minimal supervision
• Able to organize and manage data at a basic level and willing to expand upon these skills
• Proficient with common software programs, such as Microsoft Excel and Word
• Friendly, positive and professional in communications with collaborators
• Willing to contribute ideas and solutions

Contributions to University Community & Student Learning Components (UBC Vancouver Work Learn Program)Required *

This position will contribute to the UBC community, particularly the urban forestry program in the Faculty of Forestry, by strengthening and demonstrating students’ research and analytical capacity. This study also addresses practical issues—unequal access to recreational resources–in the Vancouver community.

As a supervisor, I try to foster a welcoming learning environment that encourages a growth mindset, respect for diversity, analytical thinking, and peer-to-peer training. I recognize that historically, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity is lacking in urban forestry compared with other disciplines. One of my core training goals is to involve students of various backgrounds because I believe that diversity can generate more ideas. To promote an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning environment, I recruit and mentor underrepresented students, allow flexible time management (e.g., accommodating family care time), enhance cross-cultural collaboration beyond my research group, and pursue research that benefits underrepresented communities (e.g., environmental justice, green equity, systemic bias in demographics).

The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Keunhyun Park, doctoral student Mingze Chen, and interface regularly with his lab members of Urban Nature Design Research (UNDER) Lab. To be specific, the candidate will receive:

• An orientation of the program, people, and work environment (e.g., facilities, safety and general office procedures)
• Regular meetings, including one-on-one bi-weekly meetings with Dr. Park and bi-weekly lab group meetings
• Mentoring opportunities from graduate students in Dr. Park’s lab as well as those in Urban Forests Research Hub (UFRH), a group of research labs in the Urban Forestry program
• Enhanced knowledge base in digital technologies, urban and landscape design, and behavioural research
• Opportunities to lead projects or tasks where appropriate, practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Training in research fundamentals and data management
• Mentorship from faculty on career prospects, work performance, learning objectives, life goals, challenges, and improvements

Position Classification:

Project Assistant

Salary/Wage: $21.14 per hour

Hour per week:  10 hours

Total Number of Hours: 300

Experience Level: Current students in an Undergraduate, a Masters Program; Graduated with an Undergrad Degree

Preferred Degrees/Disciplines: Science/Environment/Agriculture; Art/Social Sciences

If you are interested, please email me at mingzec@mail.ubc.ca. with your CV or additional materials you want to add.