Diana Mok

Dr. Diana Mok is an associate professor in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies specializing in real estate finance. Her research focuses on urban economic geography, real estate economics, GIS, and quantitative methods. 

In her 2023 publication titled “Are riskier cities more compact? An empirical study of the 11 largest census metropolitan areas in Canada,” Dr. Mok investigates the factors that shape urban landscapes and housing markets. The study aims to understand why some cities exhibit greater compactness than others. Dr. Mok hypothesizes that riskier housing markets create a costlier real option for developers, leading to delays in construction and resulting in more compact urban environments. This hypothesis is empirically explored using both census and satellite data from Canada's 11 largest census metropolitan areas, employing sophisticated spatial modeling techniques to analyze the relationship between price risk and urban land coverage. 

Dr. Mok's research provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between housing market dynamics and urban form. By exploring the impact of housing market risks on urban compactness, her work offers critical implications for policymakers, urban planners, and real estate professionals. The study's findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the forces driving urban development, highlighting the importance of considering market risks in urban policy and planning decisions. 

Sun, X., Mok, D., & Wang, J. (2023). Are riskier cities more compact? An empirical study of the 11 largest census metropolitan areas in Canada, 2016. Papers in Regional Science, 102(1), 167-186. https://doi.org/10.1111/pirs.12715.