# Theodore Lim PhD, City & Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania Associate Professor - Office: WMAX 231 - Email: - Bio - Research - Courses ##### Bio Theo Lim is an associate professor at UBC SCARP. He received his PhD in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, a master of science in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University (China), and a bachelor’s degree in Immigrant Studies from Swarthmore College. From 2019 – 2024, he was an assistant professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs. While at Virginia Tech, he was the Principal Investigator on research projects funded by the US National Science Foundation and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, totaling ~ 2 million USD. Outside academia, Theo has worked in community organizing, civil and environmental engineering and infrastructure planning, public health, and in the agriculture technology industry. He enjoys running, riding bikes, and writing/doodling with fountain pens. ##### Research The purpose of Theo’s research is to ensure information and knowledge are used to create healthy, just, and inclusive futures for the most marginalized in society amidst a period of accelerating global environmental and technological change. His research has two main emphases: 1. How data and models are used in environmental policy and planning contexts; and 2. How to engage with community around urban climate adaptation to achieve just outcomes. He uses diverse methods: including participatory action research, more traditional tools of qualitative social science, as well as quantitative socio-environmental systems simulation. Theo’s research has been published in top-ranked journals in planning, including *Journal of the American Planning Association*, *Landscape and Urban Planning*, and *Sustainable Cities & Society,* as well as in environmental science and engineering journals, including *Water Resources Research*, and *Environmental Science & Technology*. The breadth of research outlets reflects his interdisciplinary academic training and professional experience, which has spanned from social and policy sciences and community organizing, to supercomputing, data science, and hydrological modeling. The past several years, Theo has been engaged in an intensive participatory action research project in Roanoke, Virginia, related to urban heat mitigation efforts. The project takes a “trauma-informed, healing-centered” approach to planning with communities, and includes substantive involvement from youth in the definition of “community resilience” through arts, spirituality, and community science. ##### Courses ### PLAN 361 : Community Planning in a World of Diversity **[Theodore Lim](/directory/theodore-lim)** Examination of how the diverse, multicultural, and cosmopolitan aspects of cities create challenges and opportunities for community planning. - Level - Undergraduate - Eligibility - Third-year standing or above in any program ### PLAN 506 : Information and Analysis in Planning **[Theodore Lim](/directory/theodore-lim)** In this course, students will learn how to gather and analyze information for use in community and regional planning to support decision-making. The overall objective is to help students become critical consumers, competent producers, and effective communicators of information in the field of planning. The course will cover the basics of quantitative and qualitative data and analysis methods to help students gain skills they can apply while working as planners. The course will also introduce critical perspectives of how analysis and information are used within planning and policy processes to strengthen students’ ability to recognize the limitations of these tools. - Level - Master's - Eligibility - Enrolled in MCRP ![Man in button-up casual shirt outside house](/sites/default/files/styles/square_200/public/profile-images/2024-07/Theo%20Lim%20-%202023%20%28resized%29.JPG.webp?itok=YsxjSwCo) ### Research and Specialties - Environmental and Climate Justice - Participatory action research - Participatory planning - Public engagement - Sustainability Planning - Urban Analytics [Publications](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=B6BrH_gAAAAJ&hl=en) [Website](https://theochli.github.io/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-lim-3b475712/)