Interdisciplinary Approaches to Urban Sustainability: Insights from the LEAM Lab

Join us for lunch, learning, and conversation at the next installment of the HEROP Speaker Series on Friday, May 31st at noon. Coffee and networking session to follow. For folks outside of the UIUC community, please join us via Zoom!

Brian Deal, PhD & Moazam Hakim, MS
Friday, May 31st @ Noon, via
Zoom & In-Person at NHB 2049 in Urbana, IL.

The Landuse Evolution and Impact Assessment Modeling (LEAM) lab is an interdisciplinary research group of faculty and students at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign working in the area of spatial urban science. The lab is an interdisciplinary ensemble from: Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, Ecology, Community Development, Architecture, Computer Science, and Informatics. Our research informs areas of urban science, geospatial analysis, dynamic modeling and Planning Support System development and deployment; with an eye toward comprehensibility and accessibility by local experts, decision-makers, and stakeholders for informing more sustainable design and planning decisions. Our presentation will describe the breadth of lab work with an emphasis on of current work with the Geospatial Sciences Lab in Stockholm Sweden and a natural and workings lands plan for the State of Illinois.

About the Speakers

Dr. Brian Deal

Dr. Brian Deal is the Director of the Illinois Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) and Director of the Landuse Evolution and impact Assessment Model (LEAM) laboratory here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Deal’s scholarship includes the study of planning from an energy conservation perspective, urban land use transformation and modeling, planning for climate change, and approaches that enable communities to make better (more sustainable) decisions.

Mr. Moazam Hakim

Mr. Moazam Hakim has a bachelor’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering and a double Masters in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Illinois. Mr. Hakim has worked extensively in the field of energy conservation and carbon offset through design, planning, and scientific interventions. His research interests include the deployment of AI and ML concepts for augmentation of natural sciences and allied analysis and studies.

In-Person or Virtual?

The in-person RSVP option is open to the University of Illinois community (students, staff, and faculty). We will have lunch for all attendees who RSVP by Wednesday @10a before the event.

A virtual option via Zoom is available for the public. To register for the Zoom option, please access the following link: go.illinois.edu/HEROP-ZOOM-MAY31.

About the Series

The HEROP Speaker Series connects scholars, experts, and innovative thinkers to discuss different conceptual, methodological, and technological facets of public health to better understand the social determinants of health, and how place may influence outcomes. The Healthy Regions & Policies (HEROP) Lab integrates innovative GIScience, public health, and statistical approaches to explore, understand, and promote healthy places. We’re experts in the spatial & social determinants of health. We’re based out of the Dept of Geography & GIScience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.