Urban and Regional Development in Pacific Asia Programme under the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (HKIAPS) was established when the Institute was founded in 1990. The Programme has undertaken substantial research on world cities, globalization, Chinese urbanization and urban and regional development in China covering Pearl River Delta (PRD), Pan-PRD, Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian and western region with numerous publications.

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Professor Yeung Yue-man was the founding director of the Programme from 1990 to 2003. Prof. Yeung Yue-man and Shen Jianfa were the co-director of the Programme in 2003-2008. Professor Shen Jianfa was the director of the Programme from 2008 to 2013.

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With rapid economic change and spatial restructuring, urban and regional development has become a major research area for both basic, applied and policy studies. To strength and better coordinate CUHK and external research efforts, with the support of the University and the HKIAPS, the Programme renamed the Research Centre for Urban and Regional Development since 1 March 2013. Professor Shen Jianfa is the director of the Research Centre.

OUR OBJECTIVES

Building on 22 years of research and publication of the former research programme, the Research Centre for Urban and Regional Development strives to be a leading research base of urban and regional development in the region. Study focuses are on urban and regional development in the Asia-Pacific region, especially China. The centre has undertaken research on world cities, globalization, urbanization, and urban and regional development in China covering the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, the Pan-PRD region, Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, and the western region.  Ongoing research focuses on two themes. Theme 1: Urban and regional development in Hong Kong and mainland China will examine the development, planning and governance in Hong Kong, PRD cities and other cities in China. Theme 2: Population change and urbanization in China will examine inter-city and inter-provincial migration, urbanization and urban development in China.