Cities, Culture & Society

Rooted in human geography, this theme draws on urban planning, critical theory, sociology, economics, and geospatial analytics. We examine the socio-spatial processes of the global urban revolution, with particular attention to China and the Global South. Research generates practical policy insights and theoretical innovation to solve contemporary problems of urban inequality, social cohesion, cultural identity, mobility, and state–society relations.

Research Strategic Areas

• Urban, Regional, & Global Political Economy

• Future Cities & Social Wellbeing

• Innovation, Creativity, and Mobility

• Aesthetics, Politics, and Everyday Life

Key Research Questions

• How are China’s urbanisation processes reshaping social cohesion in the Global South?

• How can transport systems in ageing Asian cities be redesigned for active travel and equity?

• What place-based planning frameworks best optimise people, mobility, and urban form?

• What are the geographical drivers of technological innovation in Chinese cities and the GBA?

Relevant Faculty Members & their Areas of Expertise

Professor Patrick J ADLER	Creative Economy Entertainment Industries Urban Evolution Urban Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Professor Wesley L ATTEWELL	Political Geography Economic Geography Urban Geography Historical Geography
Professor Kuishuang FENG	Human Dimensions of Global Change Sustainable Production and Consumption Environmental Input-Output Analysis Life Cyle Analysis Integrated Assessment Modeling Low Carbon Transition Sustainable Resource Management
Professor Ben A GERLOFS	Urban Geography Political Geography Cultural Geography Historical Geography
Professor Benjamin L IAQUINTO	Tourism Geography Sustainability Mobilities Practices Asia-Pacific Tourism politics Backpackers
Professor Keumseok KOH	Health/ Medical Geography Geographic Information System (GIS) Urban Economics Systems Science
Professor George C S LIN	Urban and Regional Development in China Land Property Rights in China Transnationalism and Chinese Diaspora Social Geography of China Public Policy and Regional Development Economic Geography Hong Kong-Guangdong Integration
Professor Becky P Y LOO	Transit-oriented development (TOD), walkability and urban form Road safety and spatial analysis Sustainability and transport decarbonization Smart cities
Professor Junxi QIAN	Cultural geographies Cultural economic geographies Urban and regional geographies Urban-rural interactions Sustainability transition
Professor Frank VAN DER WOUDEN	Innovation Collaboration Technological change Cities Impact of distance on socio-economic activity Computational social science Economic growth Mobility Network Science Machine Learning
Professor Junshi XU	Transportation Decarbonization and Air Quality Environmental Monitoring and Population Exposure Machine Learning and Deep Learning Applications in Environmental Science Sustainability, Equity, and Justice in Urban Mobility Urban Transport and City Dynamics

Selected Projects, Grants, Publications and Outputs

• Sight2Insights AI platform (Geneva Gold Medal)

• Ageing-in-Place in Chinese Cities (Annals of the AAG)

Interdisciplinary Initiatives

• Urban & Transport Research Laboratory

• China Sustainability Intelligence Observatory (CSIO)

• International Centre for China Development Studies (ICCDS)

• Institute of Transport Studies (ITS)

• Joint Lab on Future Cities (JLFC)

• Master of China Development Studies (MChDS)

• Master of Transport Policy & Planning (MTP&P)

• Urban Sustem Institute (HKU-USI)