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Director's Message

It is well-known that there is a shortage of land and space for accommodation and for economic development in many parts of the world, especially in the densely populated Asian cities like Hong Kong. We aim to become a world leader in developing innovative solutions for creating economical and environmentally friendly land and space.


Director in the quote 540 x 600 px V3
Director of RILS
Chair Professor of Geomatics

Prof. Xiaoli DING

Welcome to Research Institute for Land and Space! The RILS was established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in May 2021 to carry out research into major issues surrounding land and space development in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

It is well-known that there is a shortage of land and space for accommodation and for economic development in many parts of the world, especially in the densely populated Asian cities like Hong Kong. Land and space shortage has resulted in very poor living conditions for a large proportion of the population, affecting the wellbeing of the under privileged both physically and psychologically. Land and space shortage has also limited the industrial, educational, and economic activities. To create more land and space economically and environmentally friendly and to optimize the use of existing land and space are keys for long-term sustainable development of many cities in the world.


A strong multi-disciplinary research team has been formed under the RILS with the 30+ key staff members coming from about ten academic departments of the University. We aim to become a world leader in developing innovative solutions for creating economical and environmentally friendly land and space. We would like to work closely with the industry, especially relevant government departments, and local and international consulting firms, and researchers around the world.

Prof. Xiaoli Ding
Director of RILS

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