About Our Lab
Our laboratory, Urban Planning Laboratory, is located in the Department of Civil and Engineering, Waseda University. Our studies focus on how to solve urban problems such as traffic congestion, urban environment, traffic accidents, and natural disasters. In the lab, students can learn how to analyze human behavior using mathematical models and statistical analysis methods. Our lab was founded in 1951, which is the second oldest in Japan, and the current professor, prof. Kuniaki SASAKI, was appointed in 2019.
Cases of Study
Behavior Models
In order to control traffic congestion and formulate urban plans, it is essential to understand the actual conditions of people and traffic flows and to simulate them in order to solve problems. Our study is building models related to route or transportation mode selection and destination stay by considering the impact of various factors on human mobility, while utilizing a large amount of data including person-trip surveys and GPS logs.
Traffic Accidents / Elderly Friendly Environment
There are many factors that contribute to traffic accidents, and by analyzing latent factors that are difficult to see directly, we can develop into accident prevention measures and policies. In recent years, traffic accidents involving the elderly have become a social problem, and we are also conducting studies on the return of driver’s licenses and the introduction of alternative means of transportation.
Disaster Resistant Cities
In Japan, a disaster-prone country, there is a need to create cities that are resilient to disasters. In order to minimize damage, we analyze human behavior after a disaster strikes and conduct traffic simulations for future countermeasures.
Land Use
To make cities more livable and efficient, it is necessary to form cities based on land use and rules that suit the characteristics of each region. Our studies include visualization of urban conditions based on various data and evaluation methods for urban optimization.
Acceptance of International Students
Several international students from Asia, Europe, and Africa come to our lab every year. You can see the current members here. There are two ways to enroll in our lab: either as an international course at Waseda University or directly in our master’s program. We are looking for colleagues to study with! If you are interested, please feel free to contact us here.