Joochul Kim's research focuses on community and economic development planning and housing and international planning. Kim serves as coordinator of the masters' program in urban and environmental planning (MUEP) and the undergraduate urban planning (BSP) program.
Kim's recent works involve looking at relationships between high-tech development and regional growth including the role of research universities in Arizona.
Kim acted as the director of special projects in ASU's Office of the President for a number of years and has managed numerous projects, including the Corporate Government Liaison Project, the Community College Partnership and Outreach Project, and the City of Phoenix Community Partnership Project. Kim is the author of "Seoul: The Making of a Metropolis" and he has penned numerous articles covering different aspects of community and housing development in Korea and in China. He regularly teaches a variety of courses including Capstone Project, Cities in Cinema, Introduction to Urban Planning, Planning History and Theory, and Public Sector Planning. He has directed students in a number of collaborative projects with Arizona communities, with the most recent project focusing on downtown redevelopment of Wickenburg, Arizona.