UT Urban Information Lab

ABSTRACT: Ensuring positive emotional experiences for tourists is crucial for rural development sustainability, yet research often neglects the rural built environment. This study fills this gap by investigating the impact of the rural built environment on tourist emotions, focusing on traditional villages in Fuzhou, China. Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques… read more 

Abstract: Over the past decade, Airbnb has evolved from a modest online bed and breakfast platform to a prominent global hospitality service. Scholars have utilized various spatial analysis techniques to investigate its influence on urban areas. This graphic employs cartogram processing to visualize Airbnb listing density in three major US… read more 

ABSTRACT: Over the last decade, Airbnb has evolved from a small bed and breakfast service to a global hospitality giant operating in 80,000 cities worldwide, offering various accommodations and experiences. With its expansion, there’s increased scrutiny from cities, researchers, and the public on its impacts and the need for regulation.… read more 

ABSTRACT: Following Hurricane Harvey, media outlets labeled it as an “equal opportunity” disaster, challenging existing research on social vulnerability which indicates marginalized groups face disproportionate risks and impacts from disasters. To assess the accuracy of this claim, we utilized regression techniques to analyze the relationship between social vulnerability indicators and… read more 

Abstract: Since March 2020, COVID-19 has spread globally, resulting in millions of deaths. The role of air pollutants in exacerbating respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 remains unclear. While regional studies have explored this association, its consistency at the neighborhood level is uncertain. This study compares weekly COVID-19 death rates across 11… read more 

Abstract: Real-time traffic data is crucial for adaptive traffic light control systems. Traditional sensors like infrared radiation and GPS lack detail. Surveillance cameras offer potential for detailed traffic analysis. This study utilizes a You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm for vehicle detection and tracking in traffic videos, aided by a… read more 

Abstract: Estimating health outcomes at a neighborhood level is crucial for urban health promotion but can be resource-intensive. This paper introduces a machine learning approach to predict the prevalence of six common chronic diseases at the census tract level in Austin, Texas. By experimenting with eight machine learning algorithms and… read more 

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of Airbnb listings on land values in the Austin, Texas area, focusing on single-family homes. Using three models—ordinary least squares regression, geographically weighted regression (GWR), and Bayesian analysis—it examines spatial distribution and temporal effects on land parcel data within Travis County. Results suggest that… read more 

Abstract: This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on housing prices in four major metropolitan areas in Texas: Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Using a linear mixed effects model, it analyzes socioeconomic, housing, and transportation factors affecting median home prices while considering fixed and random effects. Results reveal that… read more 

Abstract: This study examines how street patterns, metro stations, and urban function density influence pedestrian distribution in Tianjin, China. Thirteen neighborhoods from the city center and suburbs were selected for observation. Data on pedestrian and vehicle volumes were collected from 703 street segments. Regression models were employed to analyze the… read more