China’s fast-growing economy has driven the nation to embark on rapid urbanization. In the next 25 years, it is estimated that around 300 million rural dwellers in China will become urban residents. The large scale of this urbanization process is unprecedented in human history. It is imperative to achieve this development in a sustainable manner which enables the conservation of natural ecosystems as well as an energy-and resource-efficient living environment.
This massive urbanization process in China brings many opportunities to Hong Kong because many mainland cities are developing according to Hong Kong’s high-density urban development model. These cities are characterized by a great number of high-rise buildings and present many unique challenges for both construction and management.
Against this 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 HongKong’s urban environment and the multidisciplinary expertise of PolyU.
