Researchers in Professor Ji-wook Hwang's Urban (Re)development Research Lab, Department of Urban Engineering, JBNU, attracted attention at the recent '2026 Korean Urban Regeneration Society Spring Conference' for their empirical research achievements addressing urban problems.

According to the department, master's students Ji-cheol Yang and Binesh Anupama from the lab won the Excellence Award and the Encouragement Award, respectively, at the conference, demonstrating JBNU's research capabilities in urban engineering.

Ji-cheol Yang, the Excellence Award recipient, analyzed accessibility issues of last-mile logistics services in Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport–designated logistics-vulnerable areas and proposed practical improvement measures through his study "A Study on Measures to Reduce Service Gaps in Logistics-Vulnerable Areas Using Last-Mile Logistics Warehouses."

The study focused on the deepening service gap between major cities and vulnerable areas despite the surge in demand for everyday logistics since COVID-19. Using GIS-based accessibility analysis and a P-median location model across 56 cities, counties, and districts nationwide, the study identified optimal locations for last-mile logistics hubs.

In particular, it proposed a public–private cooperation model that repurposes existing public facilities—such as village community centers, post offices, and agricultural cooperatives—as logistics nodes and links them with private courier companies and local community organizations. The model was evaluated as a realistic alternative capable of improving both regional equity and service accessibility.

Ji-cheol Yang said, "Everyday logistics are an essential service in daily life, so closing the gap in logistics-vulnerable areas is an important task for balanced regional development," adding, "I will continue research on urban, transport, and logistics policies that residents can perceive by integrating autonomous transport technologies and spatial analysis methodologies."

Encouragement Award recipient Binesh Anupama analyzed urban safety issues from a new perspective in the study "Does Higher Lux Reduce Fear?: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Perceived Nighttime Safety and Gender-Inclusive Urbanism." The research empirically examined the relationship between the Lighting Quality Index (LQI) and Perceived Nighttime Safety (PNS) across different types of street spaces in the Geumam-dong area near JBNU.

The results showed that simply increasing illuminance does not guarantee a sense of safety; a combination of factors—such as lighting continuity, visual openness, and surrounding activity—must work together. This provides significant empirical evidence for gender-inclusive urban planning.

Jae-woo Lee, President of the Korean Urban Regeneration Society, said, "Both studies are significant in that they empirically addressed contemporary challenges of equity and safety in urban spaces," adding, "Ji-cheol Yang spatially diagnosed the logistics-vulnerable area problem and proposed practicable solutions, and Binesh Anupama analyzed perceived safety among female pedestrians alongside the qualitative elements of urban space, giving the work high academic and policy value."