Xuwei Chen

Research Emphases

Spatial Analysis, Geographic Information Science, Transportation Geography and Urban Geography

Specific Research Endeavors

My research focuses and interests lie in the domain of GIScience and the application of geospatial technologies to the fields of transportation geography, urban geography and emergency evacuation. My previous research on emergency evacuations focused on simulating evacuations using geospatial and agent-based microsimulation techniques to identify effective evacuation strategies. My interests in transportation geography include commute patterns, facility location-allocations and vulnerability in evacuations. I am also very interested in the application of spatial analysis and geovisualization techniques in urban and transportation geography. I will continue my research in agent-based modeling, spatial analysis and geovisualization in those fields. I expect to expand my research in spatial analysis, agent-based modeling and network analysis to health-related issues and crime.

Frequently Taught Courses

  • GEOG 498/660: Advanced Spatial Analysis (3)
  • GEOG 458/558: Geovisualization (3)
  • GEOG 463 Urban Geography (3)
  • GEOG 361 Geographic Measurement and Quantitative Analysis (3)
  • GEOG 304 Transportation Geography (3)
  • GEOG 202: World Regional Geography (3)
  • GEOG 338 Geography of Asia (3)
  • GEOG 407/507: Technological Hazards (3)
  • GEOG 760 Advanced Geospatial Science (3)

Representative Publications

Tokosh, J and X. Chen. 2020. The green and orange place that still rents movies: Investigating the closures of family video movie stores. The Professional Geographer 72(4):1-13.

Tokosh, J and X. Chen. 2021. Did the Macy’s in my mall close? Revisiting the closures of Macy’s, Sears, and JCPenney stores. GeoJournal. DOI:10.1007/s10708-021-10386-6. 

Ribant, M and X. Chen. 2019. A Typology of U.S. Shrinking Cities. The Professional Geographer, DOI: 10.1080/00330124.2019.1633366

Chen, X. 2018. A spatial and temporal analysis of the socioeconomic factors associated with breast cancer in Illinois using geographically weighted generalized linear regression. Journal of Geovisualization and Spatial Analysis. 2:5. DOI: 10.1007/s41651-017-0011-5.

Chen, X. 2017. A temporal analysis of the association between breast cancer and socioeconomic and environmental factors. Geojournal DOI: 10.1007/s10708-017-9824-5.

Chen, X. 2015. Activity-based modeling and microsimulation of emergency evacuations. International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research 6(3): 21-38.

Herbert, G. and X. Chen. 2015. A comparison of usefulness of 2D and 3D representations of urban planning. Cartography and Geographic Information Science 42(1): 22-32. DOI:10.1080/15230406.2014.987694.

Chen, X. and R. Greene. 2012. Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of China's Changing Urban Hierarchy (1950-2005) Urban Studies Research vol. 2012, Article ID 162965, 13 pages, 2012. doi:10.1155/2012/162965.

Chen, X. Agent-based micro-simulation of staged evacuations. International Journal of Advanced Intelligence Paradigms, 4(1): 22-35.

VanLandegan, L. and X. Chen. 2011. Microsimulation of large-scale evacuations utilizing Metrorail transit. Applied Geography, 32: 787-797.

Greene, R. and X. Chen. 2011. Geo-visualizing China's Changing Urban Hierarchy 1985 to 2005. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on GeoInformatics, Shanghai, China. June 24-26, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-61284-849-5.

Chen, X. 2011. Agent-Based Modeling of Emergency Evacuation in a Spatially-Aware and Time-Aware Environment. Proceedings of the 25th International Cartographic Conference. Paris, France. July 3-8, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-907075-05-6.

Chen, X. and F.B. Zhan. 2010. A spatial and temporal analysis of commute pattern changes in Central Texas. Annals of GIS 16(4): 255-267.

Zhan, FB; Chen, X. 2008. Agent-based modeling and evacuation planning. In Daniel Z. Sui (Eds.), Geospatial Technologies and Homeland Security: Research Frontiers and Future Challenges (pp. 189-208). Springer: Netherlands.

Zhan, F.B. and X. Chen. 2008. Intercity commute patterns in Central Texas. In: Liu, Lin; Li, Xia; Liu, Kai; Zhang, Xinchang; Wang, Xinhao (Eds.), Geoinformatics 2008 and Joint Conference on GIS and Built Environment: The Built Environment and Its Dynamics. In Proceedings of the SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering, 7144(2): 71442N.1-71442N.8.

Chen, X. 2008. Microsimulation of evacuation strategies of Galveston Island. The Professional Geographer 60(2): 160-173.

Chen, X. and F.B. Zhan. 2008. Agent-based modeling and simulation of urban evacuation: Relative effectiveness of simultaneous and staged evacuation strategies. Journal of the Operational Research Society 59: 25-33.

Lu, Y. and X. Chen., 2007. "False alarm of planar K-function for analyzing crime distributed along streets." Social Science Research 36(2): 611-632.

Chen, X . and F.B. Zhan. 2006. "Mapping the vulnerability to potential toxic substance releases from industrial facilities under emergency situations: A case study of Galveston , Texas." Geographic Information Sciences 12(1): 27-33.

Chen, X ., J.W. Meaker and F.B. Zhan. 2006. "Agent-based modeling and analysis of hurricane evacuation procedures for the Florida Keys." Natural Hazards 38(3): 321-338.

Zhan, F.B., X. Chen , C.E. Noon and G. Wu. 2005. "A GIS-enabled comparison of fixed and discriminatory pricing strategies for potential switchgrass-to-ethanol conversion facilities in Alabama." Biomass & Bioenergy 28(3): 295-306.


Associate Professor

chen@niu.edu
Office: Davis Hall 202A

Education

Ph.D., Texas State University

Contact Us

Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
Davis Hall, Room 312

815-753-1943 (undergraduate)
815-753-0631 (graduate)

815-753-1945 (fax)
askeae@niu.edu

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