Dr. Jongwoong Kim, AICP

Dr. Jongwoong Kim
Title: Associate Professor, Graduate Planning Program Coordinator, Real Estate Program Coordinator
Location: 523 BPM Center
Email: JKim@wcupa.edu
Phone: 610-436-2646


Biography

Dr. Jongwoong (“Jong”) Kim is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of both the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program and the Real Estate program in the Department of Geography and Planning at West Chester University (WCU). He is also an AICP-certified planner and a faculty affiliate of WCU’s Center for GIS and Spatial Analysis.

As an educator and planner committed to improving quality of life, Dr. Kim focuses on addressing the root causes of housing and economic challenges to help build more inclusive and equitable communities. His research integrates spatial analysis with qualitative methods to examine how planning and policy can respond to complex, deeply embedded issues.

Dr. Kim has received multiple internal and external grants and fellowships in support of his research, and his teaching has been recognized with several honors at WCU, including the Innovation in Teaching Award and the Outstanding Faculty Award.

Education and Professional Credentials

  • Ph.D., Regional Development Planning, University of Cincinnati
  • M.U.P., Urban Planning, University of Michigan
  • B.A., Economics (Minor in Business), University of North Carolina
  • AICP, American Institute of Certified Planners

Areas of Expertise

  • Housing and Economic Development
  • Geospatial Analysis and Data Visualization
  • Health, Aging and the Built Environment

Research Programs/Grants/Interests

  • PI, CRPA Targeted Research Grant (2025-26), “Preservation and Improvement of Manufactured Home Communities in Rural Pennsylvania: A Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment and Policy Response,” with Lynch, A. (Co-I) and Nein, B. (Co-I).
  • PI, PHFA Housing Policy Fellowship (2023-24), "A Geospatial Analysis of Pennsylvania's Locally Varying Property Tax Components and Their Implications for the Aging in Place of Older Pennsylvanians."
  • PI, Provost’s Research Grant (2022-23), “A New Redlining in the Digital Era? A Geospatial and Statistical Analysis of Redfin Service Locations in the Context of Historically Redlined Areas in the U.S.,” with Heckert, M. (CL).
  • PI, CRPA Micro Research Grant (2021-22), “A Geospatial Analysis of Community Conditions and Hospital Access in Rural Pennsylvania,” with Harrison, Q. (Co-I).
  • PI, Campus Sustainability Research Grant, (2021-22), “Developing a 3D GIS Model to Visualize Campus Building Energy Consumption,” with Ahner, H. (Co-I).
  • PI, CBPM Research Scholarship (2021-22), “Flood Impact Analysis of Philadelphia’s Low-Income and Minority Communities,” with Bristowe, A. (Co-I).
  • Co-I, Provost’s Research Grant (2020-21), “Ensuring Equitable Neighborhood Change: Assessing Gentrification Pressures on the Historic East End in West Chester,” with Ives-Dewey, D. (PI) and Coutu, G. (Co-I).

Recent Publications/Journals/Reports/Articles

  • Kim, J. (2025). Unlock Suburban Housing Potential and Put Empty Offices to Work, PLANNING Magazine, American Planning Association. Chicago, IL: APA.
  • Kim, J. & Harrison, Q. (2024). Rural-Urban Disparities in Community Conditions and Hospital Access: A Geospatial Analysis of Pennsylvania. Middle States Geographer, Association of American Geographers.
  • Kim, J. (2023). Preserving Home and Independence: The Geography of Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Tax System for Aging in Place, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Harrisburg, PA: PHFA.
  • Kim, J. (2022). A Reflective Account of Instructing Remote Planning Studios in the Era of COVID-19, Planning Practice & Research, DOI: 10.1080/02697459.2022.2077895.
  • Kim, J. (2022). The Age-Friendly Community Policy Movement and the Residential Location of U.S. Older Adults: The Case of Hamilton County, Ohio, Journal of Applied Gerontology, DOI: 10.1177/07334648221085462.
  • Ives-Dewey, D., Heckert, M., Kim, J., Katirai, M., & Katirai, W. (2022). Planning in Rural Pennsylvania in 2020: Analysis of the Use and Effectiveness of Municipal Land Use Tools, Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, PA: Center for Rural PA.

Classes Regularly Taught

  • PLN 214 – Introduction to Planning
  • PLN 318/528 - Economic Development Planning
  • PLN 354/554 – Housing and Planning in America
  • PLN 403/505 - Planning and Design Studio A/B
  • GEO/PLN 326 – Quantitative Analysis in Geography/Planning
  • GEO/PLN 509 – Quantitative Methods in Geography/Planning
  • GEO 101 – World Geography
  • GEO 318 – Economic Geography

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