Research Projects - UHLA Laboratory

Urban Runnability Index Development (2025-2026)

Summary: This research addresses South Korea's transition to a super-aged society by examining running as an innovative health promotion approach in the post-pandemic era. The study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for running-friendly environments through three interconnected research phases. We first develop a multi-dimensional concept of running-friendly environments through systematic literature review and international case studies, distinguishing running from other physical activities by incorporating physical, social, institutional, and technological elements. Next, we analyze running behaviors and motivations using surveys based on the leisure constraints framework, complemented by GPS-based running path data to identify environmental preferences and usage patterns. Finally, we integrate these findings to develop a comprehensive Urban Runnability Index for the Seoul Metropolitan Area, creating visualization tools through statistical and hotspot analysis. The research will contribute to theoretical knowledge, evidence-based policy development, and community health promotion, ultimately enhancing health capabilities across age groups and addressing super-aging challenges in Korean society.
Research partners: Yunjeng Song (The Ohio State University)
Funding source: Hanyang University [HY-202500000001630]

Fall Risk Assessment of Outdoor Environments (2024-2025)

Summary: Falls are a significant and growing health challenge, especially for aging populations. While extensive research has explored biological and behavioral factors contributing to falls, the role of environmental factors, especially in outdoor settings, remains understudied. This study investigates the association between built environment features and outdoor fall risks among older adults using data from 6,302 emergency dispatch cases in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea. By leveraging deep learning-based computer vision and a zero-inflated Poisson model, we analyze half a million street view images to identify micro-scale streetscape features associated with outdoor fall incidents. Our findings indicate that older adults are more likely to fall in areas with high population density and mixed-use land. While these densely populated, mixed-use environments may pose increased risks, certain streetscape features, such as curbs and brick surfaces, can mitigate fall risks, while asphalt and concrete surfaces may exacerbate them. Our findings suggest that targeted interventions in streetscapes, such as surface materials and curb designs, can potentially enhance safety for older adults. This study provides valuable insights for creating safer, age-friendly streetscapes that accommodate the aging population.
Research partners: Andy Hong (The University of Utah), Jaehyun Ha (University of Southern California), Donghwan Ki (The Ohio State University)
Funding source: Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) [HS23C0056], Hanyang University [HY-202400000003326]

Public-Private Partnership for Healthy Cities (2023-2024)

Summary: This study investigates the structure and effectiveness of public-private partnerships (PPP) in digital health promotion through a case study of the WalkON app in South Korea. Through mixed-methods analysis, including stakeholder interviews and quantitative data, we examined the technical features, partnership structure, and facilitating and limiting factors of building partnerships. The study revealed the platform's remarkable expansion from 12 cities in 2017 to 154 local governments by 2023, maintaining over 90% retention rate among participating municipalities. Key success factors included strong political support, dedicated staff competency, and the innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model, which enabled efficient partnership development with lower capital costs for both public and private sectors. However, challenges persisted in data governance frameworks, system flexibility, and achieving meaningful community participation beyond public engagement. This research contributes to understanding how PPPs can effectively leverage digital platforms for community health promotion, particularly in a top-down governance structure, while providing practical insights for policymakers and health practitioners interested in implementing similar health promotion programs. Our findings underscore the importance of balancing technological innovation with robust institutional support and community engagement for effective digital health promotion.
Research partners: Andy Hong (The University of Utah), Yunjeong Song (The Ohio State University)
Funding source: Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) [HS22C0022]

Environmental and Healthy Monitoring for Smart Healthy City (2023-2024)

Summary: A smart city is an urban area that uses emerging technologies to enhance city operations and citizen services. With over 250 smart city initiatives worldwide and a market projected to reach $97.9 billion by 2026, the focus is shifting from efficiency and technology toward prioritizing citizen health and equity. Recent research underscores the profound impact of external environments on health, highlighting the need to assess the multidimensional environmental factors. Smart monitoring technologies create promising opportunities for innovative solutions in smart cities. This research systematically reviews sensing technologies for environmental and health monitoring in smart cities, examining trends, challenges, and opportunities for creating healthier urban environments. Our analysis of 64 studies identifies twelve distinct sensing domains categorized by spatial dimension (home, neighborhood, city) and target (behavioral vs. environmental). Key findings reveal that residential-level monitoring primarily focuses on individual health behaviors, while neighborhood- and city-level technologies enable broader applications including real-time air quality mapping, noise assessment, and integrated urban monitoring. These technologies facilitate early detection of community-level disease risks, efficient environmental pollutant management, and faster emergency responses. However, implementation challenges persist, including technical limitations, marketability concerns, usability barriers, privacy issues, and health equity considerations. As monitoring capabilities show growing disparity between developed and developing regions, addressing these challenges is crucial for implementing these technologies equitably to reduce health disparities and promote community health across all populations.
Research partners: Andy Hong (The University of Utah), Haejoo Chung (Korea University), Prashant Kumar (University of Surrey), Jengwoo Lee (Chung-Ang University)
Funding source: Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) [HS22C0022]