Bio

Dr. Sicheng Wang earned a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University in 2021. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University from 2021 to 2023, working on an NSF-funded project — Preparing the Future Workforce for the Era of Automated Vehicles (WEAVE). He also worked at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (Rutgers University) and the National Center for Smart Growth (University of Maryland). Sicheng was an urban planner and planning project manager before he started pursuing his academic career. Sicheng’s research topics include transportation, emerging technologies, smart cities and infrastructure, and equity and resilience of society.

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Research

The ongoing technology revolution changes our ways of living, working, traveling, and communicating and redefines our society. To inform equitable and sustainable planning and policymaking, I have dedicated my research career to investigating social, economic, and environmental issues related to emerging technologies. My interdisciplinary research applies advanced GIScience applications and spatial analytics in investigations of smart and resilient transportation and infrastructure, mobility as a service, the gig economy, autonomous vehicles, opportunity accessibility, and social inclusion.
 
My recent research projects have delved into the nuanced realm of human attitudes and behavioral shifts in response to on-demand ridesourcing and autonomous vehicles. The disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral patterns has also captured my attention, as has the issue of occupational mobility and job displacement linked to the advent of autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, I've examined the multifaceted landscape of accessibility to diverse opportunities and activities, gauging the ripple effects of transportation regulations, and assessing the far-reaching consequences of rising sea levels on infrastructure and employment prospects. An essential facet of my work involves shedding light on disadvantages faced by particularly vulnerable segments of our population. This includes single parents, women, racial and ethnic minorities, low-income people, and those marginalized by societal norms. My research strives to amplify their voices, bringing attention to the hurdles they confront and advocating for solutions that foster greater equity and inclusivity. In essence, I endeavor to contribute to a future where technology-driven progress is not only a force for advancement but a catalyst for a more just and sustainable world.

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Teaching

• GEOG 105: The Digital Earth
• GEOG 341: Cartography
• GEOG 563: Advanced Geographic Information Systems

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Selected Publications

 Wang, S., Agrawal, S., Mack, E. A., Nidhi, K., Cotten, S. R., & Savolainen, P. T. 2024. “Downscaling Occupational Employment Data from the State to the Census Tract Level.” Applied Geography, 170: 103349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2024.103349

Wang, S., Du, R., & Lee, A. S. 2024 “Ridesourcing, Regulation, and Urban Traffic: A New York City Case.” Journal of Transport Geography, 116: 103846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.103846  

Wang, S., Huang, X., & Shen, Q. 2024. “Disparities in Resilience and Recovery of Ridesourcing Usage during COVID-19.” Journal of Transport Geography, 114: 103745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2023.103745

Chen, G., Li, C., & Wang, S. “Urban Mobility Resilience under Heat Extremes:  Evidence from Bike-Sharing Travel in New York.” Travel Behaviour and Society, 37: 100821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2024.100821

Torosyan, K., Wang, S. (corresponding), Mack, E. A., Van Fossen, J. A., & Baker, N. 2023. “Assessing the Impact of Technological Change on Similar Occupations: Implications for Employment Alternatives.” PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291428

Jin, T., Wang, S., Cao, J., Schwanen, T., Witlox, F., & Chen, L. 2023. “Do Built Environment Factors Have Different Effects on Ridesourcing Usage before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic?” Cities, 141: 104520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104520

Noland, R. B., Laham, M. L., & Wang, S. 2022. “Understanding Preferences for Bicycling and Bicycle Infrastructure.” International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 17: 9, 1020–1031. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2022.2142920
 
 Lee, A. S., Lahr, M. L., & Wang, S. 2022. “Couple Households and the Commuting-Time Gender Gap.” Professional Geographer, 74, 4: 688–703. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2022.2075407
 
 Wei, H., Huang, X., Wang, S., Lu, J., Li, Z., & Zhu, L. 2022. “A Data-Driven Investigation on Park Visitation and Income Mixing of Visitors in New York City.” Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 9,  https://doi.org/10.1177/23998083221130708

Wang, S., & Noland, R. B. 2021. “What Is the Elasticity of Sharing a Ridesourcing Trip?” Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 153: 284–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.09.008
 
Wang, S., & Noland, R. B. 2021. “Variation in Ride-Hailing Trips in Chengdu, China.” Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 90: 102596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102596
 
Wang, S., Wu, X., & Chen, Y. 2021. “Association between Perceived Transportation Disadvantages and Opportunity Inaccessibility: A Social Equity Study.” Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 101: 103119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2021.103119
 
 Mack, E. A., Agrawal, S., & Wang, S. 2021. “The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Transportation Employment: A Comparative Analysis.” Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 12: 100470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2021.100470
 
Huang, X., Lu, J., Gao, S., Wang, S., Wei, H., & Ye, X. 2021. “Staying at Home Is a Privilege: Evidence from Fine-Grained Home-Dwelling Records in the U.S. during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2021.1904819
 
Wang, S., Jiang, Z., Noland, R. B., & Mondschein, A. 2020. “Attitudes towards Privately-Owned and Shared Autonomous Vehicles.” Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 72: 297–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2020.05.014
 
Wang, S. & Smart, M. J. 2020. “The Disruptive Effect of Ridesourcing Services on For-Hire Vehicle Drivers’ Income and Employment.” Transport Policy, 89: 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.01.016
 
Wang, S. & Xu, Y. 2020. “Transit Use of Single-Parent Households: Evidence from Maryland.” Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 8: 100223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100223
 
Wang, Z., Wang, S. (co-first author/corresponding), & Lian, H. 2020. “A Route Optimization Algorithm for Long-Distance Commuter Express Bus Service Based on OD Estimation from Mobile Phone Location Data: A Case of the Changping Corridor in Beijing.” Public Transport, 13 (1): 101–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12469-020-00254-w
 
Zhang, W., Wang, K., Wang, S., Jiang, Z., Mondschein, A., & Noland, R. B. 2020. “Synthesizing Neighborhood Preferences for Automated Vehicles.” Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 120: 102774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2020.102774
 
Ralph, K., Smart, M. J., Noland, R. B., Wang, S., & Cintron, L. 2020. “Is It Really Too Far? Overestimating walk Time and Distance Reduces Walking.” Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 74: 522–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2020.09.009
 
Huang, X., Li, Z., Lu, L., Wang, S., Wei, H., & Chen, X. . “Time-Series Clustering for Home Dwell Time during COVID-19: What Can We Learn from It?” ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 11: 675. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9110675
 
Jiang, Z., Wang, S., Mondschein, A., & Noland, R. 2020. “Spatial Distributions of Attitudes and Preferences towards Autonomous Vehicles.” Transport Findings, May. https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.12653
 
Noland, R. B, Wang, S., Kulp, S., & Strauss, B. 2019. “Employment Accessibility and Rising Seas.” Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 77(12): 560–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.09.017
 
Kim, J., & Wang, S. 2019. “Head Start Availability and Supply Gap of Licensed Childcare Slots: A New Jersey Study.” Children and Youth Services Review, 104: 104394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104394