Bio
Maoran Sun is an urban researcher and data scientist. He is currently a PhD candidate in University of Cambridge. Prior to attending Cambridge, he worked at MIT Senseable City Lab as a research fellow. Maoran holds Master’s in Design Studies and Urban Design from Harvard University and Bachelor in Urban Planning from Southeast University. He is interested in environmental justice, building energy and urban studies with an approach of combining geospatial data science and deep learning.
Research interests
As the urban population continues to expand, with projections indicating it will comprise 80% of the total population by 2050, ensuring the sustainability and energy efficiency of cities becomes increasingly crucial. Globally, Hard-to-Decarbonize (HtD) buildings are estimated to account for a quarter of all homes. Despite this significant proportion, HtD buildings have historically been understudied. Previous research has primarily focused on simulating, predicting, and understanding attributes directly related to energy usage and efficiency. Maoran’s research takes the approach of applying spatial data science to analyze the building characteristics, occupants’ socioeconomic status, and mobility patterns of HtD buildings. His study aims to build a comprehensive, multi-dimensional understanding of these buildings using publicly available data and advanced deep learning methods.