Doctor (DPhil Researcher) at University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Dr. Wenbo Guo is an interdisciplinary researcher at the intersection of urban planning, environmental health, and smart city development. He holds a DPhil (PhD) from the School of Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford, with his doctoral research focusing on air pollution, mobility, and subjective wellbeing in transitional China. With a dual academic background in geography and economics, Dr. Guo integrates spatial analysis, policy research, and community-engaged methods to promote socially sustainable and health-responsive cities. He has held research positions at the University of Oxford, Peking University, and think tanks such as Polygeia and the China-Britain Artificial Intelligence Association. His professional footprint spans the UK, China, and Australia, where he has conducted collaborative work on smart cities, digital twins, transport resilience, and spatial justice. Dr. Guo has participated in multiple national and international research projects, including those supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology in China, IBM, and the National Science Foundation. A recipient of numerous honors including the Swire Scholarship and Best Paper Award at the Urban Geography Conference, Dr. Guo also contributes as a journal reviewer and committee member in academic communities. His work reflects a commitment to equitable, AI-driven, and climate-resilient urban futures.
📝Publication Profile
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🎓Education
Dr. Wenbo Guo earned his DPhil (PhD) in Geography from the University of Oxford (2016–2025), focusing on urban air pollution, mobility, and wellbeing under the supervision of Professors Tim Schwanen and Christian Brand. His interdisciplinary research bridges environmental science, human geography, and urban policy. Prior to Oxford, he completed an M.S. in Human Geography at Peking University (2011–2014), mentored by Prof. Yanwei Chai, where he gained expertise in urban spatial behavior and planning theory. He also earned a B.S. in Urban and Environmental Sciences from Central China Normal University (2007–2011), studying urban-rural planning under Prof. Shengsheng Gong. Simultaneously, he pursued a B.A. in Economics at Wuhan University (2008–2011), demonstrating an early interdisciplinary orientation. During his postgraduate years, Dr. Guo was a visiting fellow at the Urban Research Program at Griffith University, Australia (2013), enriching his international academic exposure. His comprehensive education has equipped him with robust theoretical grounding, cross-disciplinary flexibility, and a global perspective on urban sustainability, environmental justice, and digital planning tools. These diverse academic experiences underpin his current work on the environmental-health-urban interface in transitional and global cities.
💼Professional Experience
Dr. Wenbo Guo has held diverse academic and research roles that reflect his multifaceted expertise in urban sustainability, spatial analytics, and environmental health. At the University of Oxford, he served as a Research Associate at the School of Geography and the Environment (2023–2025) and previously as a Research Assistant at the Blavatnik School of Government (2018–2019). He has been a long-term researcher at the China-Britain Artificial Intelligence Association (CBAIA) since 2018, focusing on AI-driven urban planning. He also contributed to global health think tank Polygeia (2020–2024), where he addressed planetary health and digital public health issues. Prior to Oxford, Dr. Guo worked at the Center for Smart Cities Research and Planning at Peking University (2014–2015), engaging in major national R&D programs. His teaching experience spans undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, covering topics from GIS and human geography to spatial modeling. He also contributed to the LSE-PKU Summer School on sustainable development. Dr. Guo’s professional journey bridges academia, policy research, and applied urban analytics, enabling him to address complex, interdisciplinary urban challenges with both technical skills and social insights.
🔬Research Interest
Dr. Wenbo Guo’s research interests lie at the nexus of urban planning, environmental health, and digital innovation. His core areas include healthy cities, smart cities, digital twins, and AI applications in spatial planning. He focuses on equitable and sustainable urban and transport systems, emphasizing the environmental exposures and mobility patterns that shape urban health outcomes. His work also explores health inequalities, environmental justice, and the geography of wellbeing, particularly in transitional societies like China. As a geographer with strong methodological capabilities, he engages with exposure assessment, geospatial analytics, and spatial models to evaluate how urban form, climate resilience, and infrastructure affect public health. His interests extend to community-engaged research and participatory urban planning, aiming to integrate citizen perspectives into policy-making. He is also passionate about harnessing large language models (LLMs) and big data analytics to support smart governance and decision-making. By combining qualitative, quantitative, and spatial approaches, Dr. Guo seeks to foster cities that are socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and technologically advanced, with a strong orientation toward urban wellbeing and policy translation.
🧠Research Skills
Dr. Wenbo Guo brings a versatile and interdisciplinary research skill set encompassing spatial, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies. His technical proficiencies include spatial analysis with GIS platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS), statistical programming in R and Stata, and scripting in Python. He has applied these tools extensively in urban planning, exposure assessment, mobility behavior modeling, and geospatial health analytics. Dr. Guo is particularly skilled in mixed-method research, integrating environmental data, human mobility patterns, and subjective wellbeing surveys to analyze complex urban systems. His experience in modeling space-time behaviors and smart travel services enhances his capacity to inform smart city and community planning initiatives. He has worked on large-scale national and international projects involving smart city development, urban policy innovation, and socio-environmental evaluation. Additionally, Dr. Guo has experience in participatory research methods and spatial visualization, allowing for the effective communication of research outcomes to stakeholders. With a growing interest in AI and large language models, he is exploring novel computational approaches to urban decision-making and digital governance. His multi-layered expertise equips him to address contemporary challenges in urban resilience, sustainability, and health equity.
🏆Awards and Honors
Dr. Wenbo Guo has received several academic honors and professional recognitions that reflect his excellence in urban geography and policy research. He was awarded the prestigious Swire Scholarship at the University of Oxford in 2016, recognizing his academic distinction and leadership potential. In 2019, he received the Best Paper Award at the Annual Conference of Urban Geography by the Geographical Society of China for his contributions to understanding spatial wellbeing in Chinese cities. During his postgraduate studies, he earned the National Scholarship from China’s Ministry of Education in 2012 and the Tenacity Scholarship from Peking University in 2013. His participation in international innovation competitions includes the European Smart Health and Healthcare Hackathon (2023) and the European Smart Mobility Hackathon (2017), both held in Prague. He also completed Oxford’s Leadership Program on Global Challenges in Transport, participating in modules focused on health, governance, and infrastructure from 2017 to 2018. These awards and programs underscore his interdisciplinary capacity, global engagement, and leadership in advancing research on sustainable, equitable, and smart urban futures.
📈Author Metrics
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Total Citations: 324
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h-index: 12
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i10-index: 14
📌Publications Top Notes
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Examining the Influence of Neighborhood and Street-Level Built Environment on Fitness Jogging in Chengdu, China: A Massive GPS Trajectory Data Analysis
Authors: W. Yang, J. Hu, Y. Liu, W. Guo
Journal: Journal of Transport Geography
Year: 2023
Citations: 50
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Examining the Incubation Period Distributions of COVID-19 in Chinese Patients with Different Travel Histories
Authors: Z. Xiao, X. Xie, W. Guo, Z. Luo, J. Liao, F. Wen, Q. Zhou, L. Han, T. Zheng
Journal: The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
Year: 2020
Citations: 33
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Smart Approaches to Community Management and Public Services in Chinese Cities
(Original Chinese title: The intelligent path of urban community management and services in China)
Authors: Y. Chai, W. Guo
Journal: Progress in Geography
Year: 2015
Citations: 28
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Five-Year Lung Cancer Mortality Risk and Spatial Distribution in Xuanwei: A Spatiotemporal Correlation Study
Authors: J. Li, W. Guo, J. Ran, R. Tang, H. Lin, X. Chen, B. Ning, J. Li, Y. Zhou, L.C. Chen, et al.
Journal: BMC Public Health
Year: 2019
Citations: 25
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How Does the Visual Environment Influence Outdoor Jogging Behavior? Insights from Citywide Image and GPS Data
Authors: W. Yang, H. Chen, J. Li, W. Guo, J. Fei, Y. Li, J. He
Journal: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
Year: 2024
Citations: 19
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Temporal Dimensions in Human Mobility and Health Research
(Original Chinese title: Time Matters in the Study of Human Mobility and Health)
Authors: M. Guan, W. Guo, Y. Chai
Journal: Progress in Geography
Year: 2013
Citations: 15
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Day-to-Day Variability in Activity-Travel Behavior Based on GPS Data: A Case Study from the Suburbs of Beijing
Authors: Y. Shen, Y. Chai, W. Guo
Journal: Geographical Research
Year: 2013
Citations: 14
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Managing Tourist Congestion: Insights from Chinese Group Tours to the UK and Ireland
Authors: M. Ji, W. Guo, Z. Chen, N. Morgan
Journal: Current Issues in Tourism
Year: 2023
Citations: 13
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Applying a Subjective Well-Being Framework to Transport Equity
Authors: L. Reardon, L. Mahoney, W. Guo
Book Chapter: In Measuring Transport Equity
Year: 2019
Citations: 13
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Diurnal Variations in Weekly Spatio-Temporal Behavior of Suburban Residents in Beijing
(Original Chinese title: Diurnal differences in spatial behavior of residents in Beijing suburbs over a week)
Authors: Y. Shen, Y. Chai, W. Guo
Journal: Geographical Research
Year: 2013
Citations: 13
🧾Conclusion
Dr. Wenbo Guo stands out as a rising scholar in the interdisciplinary field of urban sustainability, environmental health, and smart city innovation. His academic and professional journey—spanning top institutions in the UK, China, and Australia—demonstrates a strong commitment to addressing real-world urban challenges through a blend of theoretical insight and practical application. His work is informed by deep methodological expertise, covering spatial analysis, AI tools, and policy-oriented research, with a unique emphasis on wellbeing and environmental justice in rapidly transitioning cities. Dr. Guo’s diverse portfolio of research projects, funded by international and national agencies, showcases his ability to contribute meaningfully to both academic knowledge and policy innovation. His leadership roles, teaching experience, and recognition through scholarships and awards further affirm his standing in the field. Looking ahead, Dr. Guo aims to deepen his engagement in interdisciplinary research that promotes healthy, livable, and data-informed cities. With an evolving focus on digital governance, AI, and climate-resilient infrastructure, he is poised to play a significant role in shaping equitable and sustainable urban futures worldwide.