Yilei Yu

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Rice University’s Center for Coastal Futures & Adaptive Resilience (CFAR). Drawing on training in architecture, urban planning, and geographic information science, I examine how land use, the built environment, and socioeconomic inequality shape climate risk, disaster recovery, and community resilience.

At the intersection of spatial data science and planning, my research centers on three interconnected areas:

• Land Use, Built Environment, and Climate Risk

I examine how development patterns, buildings, infrastructure, and planning decisions shape unequal exposure to environmental hazards.

• Disaster Recovery, Wealth, and Spatial Inequality

I study how disaster losses, insurance gaps, and unequal recovery resources reshape wealth and communities over time.

• Environmental Health, Justice, and Community Resilience

I investigate how climate and industrial hazards produce unequal health risks and resilience outcomes across communities.

Across these areas, I combine large-scale spatial data, GIS, remote sensing, statistical modeling, and interactive visualization to produce actionable evidence and community-facing tools for equitable planning and climate adaptation. I hold a PhD in Geographic Information Science from Arizona State University’s School of Geographic Sciences and Urban Planning, building on earlier degrees in Architecture (B.S.) and Urban Planning (M.S.). Through my research, teaching, and Spatial Atlas, I connect spatial analysis with the planning decisions that shape buildings, neighborhoods, and communities.