About RISUD

As a result of the rapid economic development on the Chinese mainland, a massive urbanization process has been under way. Over the next 25 years, it is estimated that around 300 million rural dwellers in China will become urban residents. The scale of this process is unprecedented in human history, and the challenge is how to achieve it in a sustainable manner so that the natural environment is well protected and the built environment functions in an efficient manner in terms of energy and resources.

This massive urbanization process in China presents many opportunities for Hong Kong because many mainland cities are developing according to Hong Kong's high-density urban development model. Such cities are characterized by a great number of high-rise residential buildings and present many unique challenges for both construction and management.

Against the above background, the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) was established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to develop innovative solutions for sustainable high-density cities by capitalizing on the living laboratory of Hong Kong's urban environment and the multidisciplinary expertise of PolyU.