Dr. Jue Ma

Assistant Professor

The University of Tokyo

My research explores how digital technologies can transform urban planning toward more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient futures. The central focus lies in developing Urban Digital Twins (UDT) as participatory platforms for simulation, evaluation, and negotiation of planning policies.

One major stream addresses demographic change and spatial transformation. I model population dynamics and geographic distribution under conditions of decline and aging, with particular attention to Japan’s metropolitan concentration and compact city strategies. These models aim to provide data-driven evidence to guide spatial restructuring and long-term urban sustainability.

A second stream involves mobility digital twins for public transportation planning. By integrating large-scale GPS trajectories with GTFS datasets and simulation models, I analyze and predict mobility flows, evaluate the financial sustainability of public transport and on-demand services, and design decision-support tools for municipalities and mobility operators.

The third research area concerns urban AI for spatial design and modeling. This includes predicting building heights based on footprints and zoning regulations, as well as generating urban block layouts under compact city policies. These AI-driven methods enhance the creation of 3D city models and facilitate scenario testing of future urban forms.

Finally, I investigate equity and wellbeing in urban environments, with emphasis on socioeconomic disparities in exposure to heat and air pollution. By leveraging human mobility data, I assess how different groups experience environmental risks and propose strategies for more equitable mitigation.

Taken together, these research areas converge on the vision of an interactive, AI-augmented digital twin platform that not only represents cities but also enables transparent, evidence-based, and participatory urban governance.