People in Research Focus Areas

Director of RISUD

Prof. Xiang-dong LI

Associate Directors of RISUD

Sr Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG

Prof. Tao YU

 Division leader: Prof. Jerry YAN

This division addresses the urgent need for cities to achieve carbon neutrality, given their significant CO₂ emissions and energy demand. By expanding beyond traditional urban planning to include environmental, economic, and political considerations, the division aims to drive practical innovations and systematic transformations for a sustainable urban future.

This division consists of four research groups:

1. Urban Energy Sciences and Novel Low/Zero Carbon Technologies
2. New Mobilities and Urban Planning/Operation
3. AI-Enabled Urban Dynamics and Human-Centric Responses
4. Economics and Finance including Carbon Trading and New Business Model

Division leader: Prof. Tao WANG

This division enhances urban settings by researching air pollution, developing waste reduction technologies, and promoting circular economy principles. We study urban development's impact on ecosystems, designs green infrastructure, addresses noise pollution with innovative solutions, and advances technologies for efficient water and wastewater treatment to ensure safe and reliable supply systems.

This division consists of five research groups:

1. Regional Air Quality
2. Sustainable Waste Management
3. Urban Ecosystems
4. Urban Noise Mitigation
5. Urban Water and Wastewater Treatment

Division leader: Prof. Asif USMANI

This division leads research to enhance city systems by utilising advanced materials, including composites and recycled options, for optimised structural use. It focuses on safety in construction, fire, transportation, and geo-hazards, while integrating robotics and AI in structural design, manufacturing, and monitoring to ensure resilient and efficient urban infrastructure.

This division consists of three research groups:

1. Sustainable Materials and Structures
   
2. Infrastructure Safety and Resilience
   
3. AI and Robots for Intelligent Infrastructure

Division leader: Prof. Yuhong WANG

This division commits to transforming urban environments by leveraging the power of nature to protect, manage, and restore ecosystems, effectively addressing societal challenges while enhancing human well-being and biodiversity.

This division consists of three research groups:

1. Next generation vegetation monitoring and assessment
   
2. Carbon sequestration from green and blue
   
3. Urban planning and design with nature-based solutions in new developments