Houpu Li

Biography

Houpu Li is an urban data scientist and architect specializing in GeoAI, spatial modeling, web development, digital twins, and computational urban research. Houpu holds professional degrees in Architecture (B.Arch and M.Arch) from China and a Master’s in Regional Science from Cornell University (2022–2024). He then worked as a full-time Research Associate at Harvard University (2024–2025) and will begin a Ph.D. in Geography at UC Santa Barbara in Fall 2025. Houpu’s work integrates GeoAI and Python-based spatial analysis with urban studies and planning practice to advance equitable and resilient urban development.

Research 

My research focuses on how GeoAI and big data can uncover hidden urban patterns and address challenges related to climate vulnerability, housing, and mobility. At Cornell, my work examined the difference of racial segregation influenced by POIs in U.S. metropolitan areas, shifts in residents’ mobility during COVID-19, and urban morphology and landscape patterns across African cities, employing machine learning, GIS, and remote sensing. At Harvard GSD, I developed open-source Python packages for zoning analysis, building siting, and housing development potential assessment. I am also deeply interested in transforming traditional research reports into interactive web-based visualizations using Python-based packages such as Mapbox GL and Deck.GL.

Publications 

The racial composition of road users, traffic citations, and police stops W Xu, M Smart, N Tilahun, S Askari, Z Dennis, H Li, D Levinson Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121 (24), e2402547121