Urban Morphology Studio

Research

Our research focuses on quantitative analysis of urban morphology, spatial structure, and urban evolution. We utilize advanced data analysis, simulation, and modeling techniques to explore how cities grow and transform, aiming to provide support for sustainable urban development and planning.

Main research directions include:

All

2026

UST-GNN: A unified spatial topological graph neural network framework for urban analytics demonstrated through a case study on urban health prediction
UST-GNN: A unified spatial–topological graph neural network framework for urban analytics demonstrated through a case study on urban health prediction
Minwei Zhao, Sanja Šćepanović, Stephen Law, Ivica Obadić, Cai Wu, Daniele Quercia
Computers, Environment and Urban Systems  ·  01 Oct 2026  ·  doi:10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2026.102466 Download
Theory-informed and interpretable graph learning for urban commuting flows
Theory-informed and interpretable graph learning for urban commuting flows
Minwei Zhao, Dailuo Zhang, Zhecheng Shi, Cai Wu
Sustainable Cities and Society  ·  01 Sep 2026  ·  doi:10.1016/j.scs.2026.107575 Download
Beyond single snapshots: Quantifying multi-scale heterogeneity from street-view imagery and what it reveals about perception
Beyond single snapshots: Quantifying multi-scale heterogeneity from street-view imagery and what it reveals about perception
Guosheng Yang, Yunlei Su, Minwei Zhao, Chaosu Li, Cai Wu
Cities  ·  01 Aug 2026  ·  doi:10.1016/j.cities.2026.107227
Beyond fidelity: Rethinking realism through human behavior in VR city modeling LOD design
Beyond fidelity: Rethinking realism through human behavior in VR city modeling LOD design
Yunlei Su, Guosheng Yang, Wufan Zhao, Cai Wu
International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation  ·  01 Aug 2026  ·  doi:10.1016/j.jag.2026.105484 Download
Understanding Multi-perspective Urban Green Space Patterns under Urban Expansion: Evidence from Guangzhou
Understanding Multi-perspective Urban Green Space Patterns under Urban Expansion: Evidence from Guangzhou
Qiming Liu, Shaoqing Dai, Guosheng Yang, Cai Wu
Sustainable Cities and Society  ·  01 May 2026  ·  doi:10.1016/j.scs.2026.107534
Tarot-SAM3: Training-free SAM3 for Any Referring Expression Segmentation
Tarot-SAM3: Training-free SAM3 for Any Referring Expression Segmentation
Weiming Zhang, Dingwen Xiao, Songyue Guo, Guangyu Xiang, Shiqi Wen, Minwei Zhao, Lei Chen, Lin Wang
arXiv  ·  01 Jan 2026  ·  doi:10.48550/ARXIV.2604.07916

2025

Advancing graph-supported machine learning in generative design for architectural engineering
Advancing graph-supported machine learning in generative design for architectural engineering
Hanmo Wang, Zhuyin Lu, Shawn Owyong, Huan Ting Chen, Cai Wu, Tam H. Nguyen, Alexander Lin
Automation in Construction  ·  01 Dec 2025  ·  doi:10.1016/J.AUTCON.2025.106530
BuildingView: Constructing Urban Building Exteriors Databases with Street View Imagery and Multimodal Large Language Model
BuildingView: Constructing Urban Building Exteriors Databases with Street View Imagery and Multimodal Large Language Model
Zongrong Li, Yunlei Su, Hongrong Wang, Wufan Zhao
Lecture Notes in Computer Science  ·  12 Nov 2025  ·  doi:10.1007/978-981-95-3102-8_1
Formalising the urban pattern language: A morphological paradigm towards understanding the multi-scalar spatial structure of cities
Formalising the urban pattern language: A morphological paradigm towards understanding the multi-scalar spatial structure of cities
Cai Wu, Jiong Wang, Mingshu Wang, Filip Biljecki, Menno-Jan Kraak
Cities  ·  01 Jun 2025  ·  doi:10.1016/J.CITIES.2025.105854
Perceiving the fine-scale urban poverty using street view images through a vision-language model
Perceiving the fine-scale urban poverty using street view images through a vision-language model
Chao Wu, Yongxiang Liang, Minwei Zhao, Mingda Teng, Han Yue, Yu Ye
Sustainable Cities and Society  ·  01 Apr 2025  ·  doi:10.1016/j.scs.2025.106267
MedGNN: Capturing the Links Between Urban Characteristics and Medical Prescriptions
MedGNN: Capturing the Links Between Urban Characteristics and Medical Prescriptions
Minwei Zhao, Sanja Scepanovic, Stephen Law, Ivica Obadic, Cai Wu, Daniele Quercia
arXiv  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.48550/ARXIV.2504.04739
From Street Form to Spatial Justice: Explaining Urban Exercise Inequality via a Triadic SHAP-Informed Framework
From Street Form to Spatial Justice: Explaining Urban Exercise Inequality via a Triadic SHAP-Informed Framework
Minwei Zhao, Guosheng Yang, Zhuoni Zhang, Filip Biljecki, Hanzhi Zu, Cai Wu
arXiv  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.48550/ARXIV.2507.03570
CUPUM 2025
CUPUM 2025
Susannah Cramer-Greenbaum, Chen Zhong, Adam Dennett
OSF  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/ABYQH
Buildingmultiview: Extracting 11 Multi-Scale Building Characteristics from Satellite and Street View Imagery with Large Language Models
Buildingmultiview: Extracting 11 Multi-Scale Building Characteristics from Satellite and Street View Imagery with Large Language Models
Zongrong Li, Yunlei Su, Filip Biljecki, Wufan Zhao
Elsevier BV  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.2139/ssrn.5336448
The Transformation of Green Spaces Under Urban Expansion: A Study on the Coordination of Urban Expansion and Green Spaces in Guangzhou
The Transformation of Green Spaces Under Urban Expansion: A Study on the Coordination of Urban Expansion and Green Spaces in Guangzhou
Qiming Liu, Shaoqing Dai, Guosheng Yang, Cai Wu
Elsevier BV  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.2139/ssrn.5546713
UST-GNN: A Unified Spatial--Topological Graph Neural Network Framework for Urban Analytics--Demonstrated through a Case Study on Urban Health Prediction
UST-GNN: A Unified Spatial--Topological Graph Neural Network Framework for Urban Analytics--Demonstrated through a Case Study on Urban Health Prediction
Minwei Zhao, Sanja Scepanovic, Stephen Law, Ivica Obadic, Cai Wu, Daniele Quercia
arXiv  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.48550/arXiv.2504.04739
Beyond Fidelity: Rethinking Realism Through Human Behavior in VR City Modeling LOD Design
Beyond Fidelity: Rethinking Realism Through Human Behavior in VR City Modeling LOD Design
YUNLEI SU, Guosheng Yang, Wufan Zhao, Cai Wu
Elsevier BV  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.1016/j.jag.2026.105484 Download
From Street Form to Spatial Justice: Explaining Urban Exercise Inequality via a Triadic SHAP-Informed Framework
From Street Form to Spatial Justice: Explaining Urban Exercise Inequality via a Triadic SHAP-Informed Framework
Minwei Zhao, Guosheng Yang, Zhuoni Zhang, Filip Biljecki, Hanzhi Zu, Cai Wu
arXiv  ·  01 Jan 2025  ·  doi:10.48550/arXiv.2507.03570

2024

Local Hubs and Global Gateways : Understanding the impact of Singapore s master plan on urban polycentricity
‘Local Hubs and Global Gateways’: Understanding the impact of Singapore’s master plan on urban polycentricity
Cai Wu, Mingshu Wang, Jiong Wang, Duncan Smith, Menno-Jan Kraak
Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science  ·  09 Aug 2024  ·  doi:10.1177/23998083241267070
Machine learning-based characterisation of urban morphology with the street pattern
Machine learning-based characterisation of urban morphology with the street pattern
Cai Wu, Jiong Wang, Mingshu Wang, Menno-Jan Kraak
Computers, Environment and Urban Systems  ·  01 Apr 2024  ·  doi:10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2024.102078
Mapping Street Patterns with Network Science and Supervised Machine Learning
Mapping Street Patterns with Network Science and Supervised Machine Learning
Cai Wu, Yanwen Wang, Jiong Wang, Menno-Jan Kraak, Mingshu Wang
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information  ·  28 Mar 2024  ·  doi:10.3390/IJGI13040114
Humans As Sensors in Urban Digital Twins
Humans As Sensors in Urban Digital Twins
Binyu Lei, Yunlei Su, Filip Biljecki
Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography  ·  01 Jan 2024  ·  10.1007/978-3-031-43699-4_42
Humans As Sensors in Urban Digital Twins
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digital-twin cesium
Humans As Sensors in Urban Digital Twins
Humans As Sensors in Urban Digital Twins
Binyu Lei, Yunlei Su, Filip Biljecki
Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography  ·  01 Jan 2024  ·  doi:10.1007/978-3-031-43699-4_42

2022

Identifying Urban Functional Regions from High-Resolution Satellite Images Using a Context-Aware Segmentation Network
Identifying Urban Functional Regions from High-Resolution Satellite Images Using a Context-Aware Segmentation Network
Wufan Zhao, Mengmeng Li, Cai Wu, Wen Zhou, Guozhong Chu
Remote Sensing  ·  17 Aug 2022  ·  doi:10.3390/rs14163996
Measuring urban nighttime vitality and its relationship with urban spatial structure: A data-driven approach
Measuring urban nighttime vitality and its relationship with urban spatial structure: A data-driven approach
Chao Wu, Minwei Zhao, Yu Ye
Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science  ·  14 Jun 2022  ·  doi:10.1177/23998083221108191

2021

Simulating the urban spatial structure with spatial interaction: A case study of urban polycentricity under different scenarios
Simulating the urban spatial structure with spatial interaction: A case study of urban polycentricity under different scenarios
Cai Wu, Duncan Smith, Mingshu Wang
Computers, Environment and Urban Systems  ·  01 Sep 2021  ·  doi:10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2021.101677