About Us
A Global Authority on Urban Transformation in Asia
The scale of urbanisation as we see it today is unprecedented, and current global macro trends point to an urgent and ongoing need for urban research to be prioritised. Whilst 54% of the world’s urban population lives in Asia, so too are Asian cities growing at a speed and scale never before witnessed. Many are leapfrogging developmental stages, causing old and new city-making practices to become uncomfortably entwined. Policymakers throughout the region therefore need insights and solutions for urban development that ensure more sustainable and equitable futures for Asia’s cities. Through the Urban Institute, SMU aspires to become a global authority on urban transformation in Asia by understanding the unique challenges facing Asian cities, and driving strategic interventions that impact urban growth, infrastructure, and lives.
Our Vision
The Urban Institute envisions itself as a research powerhouse dedicated to delivering impact through the study of Asian cities. By leveraging Singapore Management University’s strategic positioning as a vibrant management university located in Singapore’s city centre, the Urban Institute aims to develop empirical insights, theoretical understandings, and practical solutions to a variety of urban challenges. As an interface through which scholars, policymakers, communities and industry can come into meaningful contact and engagement with one another, the Urban Institute will be the first research institute that can speak to the plethora of challenges facing Asia’s cities, from the heart of urban Asia.
The Institute shall address critical issues shaping the future of Asian cities by forging an interdisciplinary research agenda that bridges theoretical and applied research, data science and the critical social sciences, industry and academia, and Singapore and Southeast Asia. It seeks to synthesise and cultivate thought leadership and innovative solutions, inform policy decisions, and drive sustainable urban development practices that contribute to the development of more inclusive, resilient and vibrant cities. In short, the Institute will advance a new organisational and intellectual paradigm for the study, understanding and advancement of uniquely Asian urbanisms.
CONNECT
The Urban Institute will connect researchers across Schools and disciplines by organising and leading cross-school and cross-disciplinary research projects that tackle complex urban issues.
ENGAGE
The Urban Institute will engage scholars, policymakers and industry in meaningful dialogue through a programme of events and networking sessions.
LEVERAGE
The Urban Institute will leverage SMU’s footprint across Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to serve as a knowledge partner for the study of Asian cities.