Xize Wang (王锡泽)

Xize Wang (王锡泽)

Assistant Professor,   Department of Real Estate,   National University of Singapore

Research/研究

You can also find my articles on my Google Scholar profile.

Enclosed by Walls, Embraced by Trees: Effects of Indoor Residential Crowding and Outdoor Green Space on Mental Health

Published in Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2026

Indoor residential crowding primarily affects the mental health of Beijing’s local residents, while outdoor green space primarily affects that of migrants.

Citation: Wang, XL., Liu, T., & Wang, X. (2026) Enclosed by Walls, Embraced by Trees: Effects of Indoor Residential Crowding and Outdoor Green Space on Mental Health. Journal of Planning Education and Research , forthcoming Journal link forthcoming

100-m resolution Age-Stratified Population Estimation from the 2020 China Census by Township (ASPECT)

Published in Scientific Data, 2025

We developed an age-stratified gridded population dataset at 100 m resolution based on China’s 2020 Census, offering higher spatial accuracy and finer age-specific detail than widely used datasets such as WorldPop.

Citation: Ju, Y., Liang, Y., Kong, J., ... Wang, X. (2025) 100-m resolution Age-Stratified Population Estimation from the 2020 China Census by Township (ASPECT). Scientific Data 12, 1058 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05401-1

Harmonized health survey data for 240 cities across 11 countries in Latin America: the SALURBAL project

Published in International Journal of Epidemiology, 2025

We harmonized 40 health surveys on urban health across 11 Latin American countries and provided recommendations for good practices.

Citation: Moore, K. et al. (2025). Harmonized health survey data for 240 cities across 11 countries in Latin America: the SALURBAL project. International Journal of Epidemiology, 54(1), dyae171. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyae171

Socioeconomics of Urban Travel in the U.S.: Evidence from the 2017 NHTS

Published in Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2023

The 2017 NHTS reveals declining car trip shares and increasing sustainable mode shares, with notable variations across socioeconomic factors.

Citation: Wang, X., & Renne, J. L. (2023). Socioeconomics of urban travel in the US: Evidence from the 2017 NHTS. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 116 , 103622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103622

Home-made blues: Residential crowding and mental health in Beijing, China

Published in Urban Studies, 2023

Living in a crowded place – measured by both sqm per person and persons per bedroom – is significantly associated with a higher risk of depression. Residential crowding is associated with depression by serving as a direct stressor rather than triggering higher life stress.

Citation: Wang, X., & Liu, T. (2023). Home-made blues: Residential crowding and mental health in Beijing, China. Urban Studies, 60(3), 461-482 https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980221101707

City-Level Travel Time and Individual Dietary Consumption in Latin American Cities: Results from the SALURBAL Study

Published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

Higher travel time and traffic delay time is associated with more consumption of unhealthy foods - especially in big cities.

Citation: Guimarães, J. M. et al. (2022). City-Level Travel Time and Individual Dietary Consumption in Latin American Cities: Results from the SALURBAL Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, (20), 13443. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013443

Is city-level travel time by car associated with individual obesity or diabetes in Latin American cities? Evidence from 178 cities in the SALURBAL project

Published in Cities, 2022

We utilized national-level health surveys and the Google Map Distance Matrix API, and examined the relationship between individual-level obesity and city-level travel time in 178 Latin American cities.

Citation: Delclòs-Alió, X. et al. (2022). Is city-level travel time by car associated with individual obesity or diabetes in Latin American cities? Evidence from 178 cities in the SALURBAL project. Cities, 131, 103899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.103899

The roads one must walk down: Commute and depression for Beijing’s residents

Published in Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2022

Those taking longer time to work have higher risks for depression - especially for motorcycle/moped takers, older people and blue-collar workers.

Citation: Wang, X., & Liu, T. (2022). The roads one must walk down: Commute and depression for Beijing’s residents. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 109, 103316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2022.103316

Latin American cities with higher socioeconomic status are greening from a lower baseline: evidence from the SALURBAL project

Published in Environmental Research Letters, 2021

Low-SES neighborhoods in high-SES Latin American cities have experienced the biggest "greenspace deprivations" in 2000-2015.

Citation: Ju, Y., Moran, M., Wang, X., Avila-Palencia, I., Cortinez-O’Ryan, A., ... & Dronova, I. (2021). "Latin American cities with higher socioeconomic status are greening from a lower baseline: evidence from the SALURBAL project. Environmental Research Letters, 16(10), 104052. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2a63

Support for market-based and command-and-control congestion relief policies in Latin American cities: Effects of mobility, environmental health, and city-level factors

Published in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2021

Personal-level factors (e.g. traffic delay and respiratory diseases) correlate with the public support for road pricing or driving ban; while city-level factors (e.g. PM2.5 and income inequaliy) correlates with the relative preferences between these two policies.

Citation: Wang, X., Rodríguez, D. A., & Mahendra, A. (2021). Support for market-based and command-and-control congestion relief policies in Latin American cities: Effects of mobility, environmental health, and city-level factors. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 146, 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.12.004

Generational Differences in Automobility: Comparing America’s Millennials and Gen Xers Using Gradient Boosting Decision Trees

Published in Cities, 2021

Using tree-based machine learning models, this study examines the non-linear dose-response effects of lifecycle, socio-demographic and residential factors on daily driving distances of Millennial and Gen-X young adults.

Citation: Wang, K., & Wang, X. (2021). Generational differences in automobility: Comparing America's Millennials and Gen Xers using gradient boosting decision trees. Cities, 114, 103204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103204

Physical disorders and poor self-rated health in adults living in four Latin American cities: a multilevel approach

Published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

People living with higher built environment disorders (e.g. abandoned buildings, poor lit streets) have worse physical health.

Citation: Vaz, C. et al. (2020). Physical disorders and poor self-rated health in adults living in four latin american cities: a multilevel approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(23), 8956. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238956

Has the relationship between urban and suburban automobile travel changed across generations? Comparing Millennials and Generation Xers in the United States

Published in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2019

By tracking Millennials’ and Gen Xers’ driving behavior over three decades, I find that Millennials’ lower automobility cannot be fully attributed to urban living, recession or delayed life-cycles. Demographic theory suggests that such generational differences may remain in later life stages.

Citation: Wang, X. (2019). Has the relationship between urban and suburban automobile travel changed across generations? Comparing Millennials and Generation Xers in the United States. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 129, 107-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2019.08.012

Urban spatial structure and the potential for vehicle miles traveled reduction: The effects of accessibility to jobs within and beyond employment sub-centers

Published in The Annals of Regional Science, 2019

Accessibility to jobs outside employment sub-centers in the Los Angeles region has the strongest association with VMT reductions.

Citation: Boarnet, M. G., & Wang, X. (2019). Urban spatial structure and the potential for vehicle miles traveled reduction: The effects of accessibility to jobs within and beyond employment sub-centers. The Annals of Regional Science, 62(2), 381-404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-019-00900-7

Using community-based system dynamics modeling to understand the complex systems that influence health in cities: The SALURBAL study

Published in Health & Place, 2019

We work with a diverse group of stakeholders to identify 98 variables, 10 feedback loops and 52 policy actions for food behaviors, transport and health.

Citation: Langellier, B. A. et al. (2019). Using community-based system dynamics modeling to understand the complex systems that influence health in cities: The SALURBAL study. Health & Place, 60, 102215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102215

Can new light rail reduce personal vehicle carbon emissions? A before‐after, experimental‐control evaluation in Los Angeles

Published in Journal of Regional Science, 2017

The opening of the Los Angeles Expo Line reduces 3,145g/day CO2 emissions from household vehicles for nearby residents.

Citation: Boarnet, M. G., Wang, X., & Houston, D. (2017). Can new light rail reduce personal vehicle carbon emissions? A before‐after, experimental‐control evaluation in Los Angeles. Journal of Regional Science, 57(3), 523-539. https://doi.org/10.1111/jors.12275

Modeling bike share station activity: Effects of nearby businesses and jobs on trips to and from stations

Published in Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 2016

We examine the socio-demographic, built environment, infrastructure and economic factors that associate with the usage of the world’s first shared mobility system.

Citation: Wang, X., Lindsey, G., Schoner, J. E., & Harrison, A. (2016). Modeling bike share station activity: Effects of nearby businesses and jobs on trips to and from stations. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 142(1), 04015001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000273

Estimating mixed-mode urban trail traffic using negative binomial regression models

Published in Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 2014

We develop negative binomial models that can help the local government to better predict urban greenway usages.

Citation: Wang, X., Lindsey, G., Hankey, S., & Hoff, K. (2014). Estimating mixed-mode urban trail traffic using negative binomial regression models. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 140(1), 04013006. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000157

Estimating use of non-motorized infrastructure: Models of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in Minneapolis, MN

Published in Landscape and Urban Planning, 2012

The variation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in Minneapolis can be explained by weather, neighborhood SES, land use mix and infrastructure factors.

Citation: Hankey, S., Lindsey, G., Wang, X., Borah, J., Hoff, K., Utecht, B., & Xu, Z. (2012). Estimating use of non-motorized infrastructure: Models of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in Minneapolis, MN. Landscape and Urban Planning, 107(3), 307-316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.06.005