Karen Seto

Professor Seto‘s research is on the dynamics of urban land-use change. In particular, her work focuses on four broad themes:  1) Monitoring and measuring urban form and growth patterns; 2) Identifying and comparing the drivers of urban growth; 3) Analyzing the environmental impacts of urban land-use change; and 4) Forecasting urban growth. 

A geographer by training, she uses a combination of satellite remote sensing, socioeconomic and biophysical data, in-person field interviews, and a range of statistical and computational models to gain insight on the patterns and processes of urban land-use change. Her geographic region of specialization is China where she has worked on urban development issues for more than ten years.