Yuhao Lu

Yuhao Lu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Manitoba, located at Room 201H, John A. Russell Building on the Fort Garry Campus. His research focuses on geospatial analytics, earth observation, cartographic design, and urban planning. He explores how maps and mapping processes influence settlement design, urban forestry, and environmental justice.

Education: PhD in Urban Planning (University of British Columbia), BSc in Forestry (University of British Columbia and Nanjing Forestry University). Prior to this role, he worked at the Future Cities Laboratory (ETH Zürich) and elementslab (UBC), contributing to projects across neighborhood, regional, and global scales.

Research Interests:

• Empirical and projective dimensions of cartography
• Participatory mapping methodologies
• Social/environmental justice through spatial representation
• Urban greenspace equity and dynamics
• Scenario-based urban modeling
• Critical cartography education

He directs the Future Elements Studio (festudio.ca), a research lab advancing innovative spatial practices. His work bridges technical geospatial analysis with socially-engaged design processes, emphasizing map-making's role in shaping urban futures.

Key contributions include developing the 'urban greenness score' metric and advancing methodologies for integrating energy-economy models with urban systems analysis. His interdisciplinary approach addresses both physical and socio-cultural dimensions of urban environments.