Mintai Kim, Ph.D.,LEED AP

Ph.D., Environmental Planning, University of California at Berkeley (2001)

MLA, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, University of California at Berkeley (1994)

BS, Landscape Architecture, University of Seoul (1988)

121 Burruss Hall (MC0190)
800 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061
+1.540.231.9872
mintkim@vt.edu
website

Mintai Kim is a Professor and LEED AP. He received his Master of Landscape Architecture and PhD in Environmental Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. He taught at the University of California at Berkeley and at the University of Arizona before he joined Virginia Tech in 2007.
His research focuses on environmental disturbances resulting from urbanization. He has published peer-reviewed papers and presented research at national and international conferences on urbanization’s effects on stream quality, avian species distribution, nighttime light pollution and Geodesign. His current research focus examines disturbances of the urban nightscape, especially as related to light pollution. He developed an innovative way to examine light pollution using helicopters and ground-level light measurements. He also developed ways to reduce light pollution by careful selection of materials. He is currently using eye-tracking devices to understand fear of nightscapes.
In addition, he studies resilience of places and the urban ecosystem regeneration in leftover urban spaces. His study examines an ecosystem’s ability to recover when leftover spaces are not touched or actively managed. He is a GeoDesign expert with over 25 years of GIS experience. His research activities were supported by the US EPA, National Park Service, NASA, and others.

research areas

• Geodesign for Resilience
• Environmental Disturbance
• Ecological Design
• Nightscape Design Research
• Feng Shui and Ecology

publications (selected)

• Kim, M., Han, S., & Kwon, Y. (2020), How Does the Brain Engage with Daytime and Night-time Sceneries? Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, 5-2020: 158-165. Wichmann Verlag, Berlin. ISBN 978-3-87907-690-1, ISSN 2367-4253
• Kim, M., Cheon, S., & Kang., Y. (2019). Use of Electroencephalography (EEG) for the Analysis of Emotional Perception and Fear to Nightscapes. Sustainability, 11(1): 233. doi:10.3390/su11010233
• Cheon, S., Han, S., Kim, M., & Kwon, Y. (2019). Comparison between Daytime and Nighttime Scenery Focusing on Restorative and Recovery Effect. Sustainability, 11(12): 3326. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123326
• Li, D., Kim, M. & Bohannon, C.L. (2018). Methodological Review of Sustainable Landscape Education Research. Landscape Research Record, 7:266-277.
• Kim, M. (2017). Teaching Coastal Resilience Using Geodesign: A Study of Virginia Beach. Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, 2-2017: 279-286. doi:10.14627/537629029
• Zheng, C., Miller, P., Clements, T., & Kim, M. (2017). Mapping Research in Landscape Architecture: Balancing Supply of Academic Knowledge and Demand of Professional Practice. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 13(7):3653–3673. June 19, 2017.  (https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.00751a)
• Wu, S., & Kim, M. (2016). The Relationship between the Pedestrian Lighting Environment and Perceived Safety, Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture,1-2016: 57-61.
• Kim, K., Kwon, Y., Kim, M, & Bohannon, C.L. (2016) The Effects of Participation of Community Gardening on the Development of Sense of Community. Landscape Research Record, 5:153-163.
• Kim, M., & Hong, S. (2015). Relationship between the Reflected Brightness of Artificial Lighting and Land Use Types. Landscape and Ecological Engineering, 11: 39-45.
• Im, S., Kwon, Y., Jeong, Y., Hue, Y., Byeon, J., Choi, H., & Kim, M. (2015). Mapping the Sense of Place in Insa-dong, Korea. 16th International Conference on Information Technology in Landscape Architecture Proceedings, 162-174
• Kim, M., Kang, Y., Hong, S., & Abel, T. (2014). Difference of Perceived Fear between Actual Environment and Image-based Environment Using Eye Tracking Method. 15th International Conference on Information Technology in Landscape Architecture Proceedings, 331-340.
• Hong, S., Choi, J., & Kim, M. (2013). Distribution Patterns of Avian Species in and around Urban Environments: A Case Study of Seoul City, Korea. Alam Cipta, 6(1): 83–92.
• Abu Bakar, S., Miller, P., Katen, B., Abel, T., Shariff, M.K.M., Sforza, P., & Kim, M. (2013). Digital Monuments and Augmented Reality: Study of the American Civil War Landscapes. 14th International Conference on Information Technology in Landscape Architecture Proceedings, 101–108.
• Kim, M., Kang, Y., & Abu Bakar, S. (2013). Who is Afraid of Light? 14th International Conference on Information Technology in Landscape Architecture Proceedings, 80–92.
• Bohannon, C.L., & Kim, M. (2012). Community Engagement as Pedagogy in Design Education: The Case of the Hurt Park Community Garden. International Conference of the Pacific Rim Community Design Network Proceedings, 8, 283–290.
• Detweiler, M.B., Sharma, T., Lane, S., Kim, M., Johnson, B.C., & Kim, K.Y. (2010). The Case for Using Restorative Natural Environments in Veterans’ Rehabilitation Programs. Federal Practitioner, 27(1): 26–29.