Climate change, rising energy costs, and resource depletion are pressing global challenges that raise serious concerns about the sustainability of ongoing growth and development, as well as the liveability of cities. These issues are especially acute in high-density urban areas, such as those found across Asia, where rapid urbanization often brings about significant environmental problems — including urban pollution, traffic congestion, waste accumulation, loss of biodiversity and deforestation, erosion of cultural heritage, and high consumption of non-renewable energy. These impacts collectively threaten the overall quality of life. In response, a wealth of new research opportunities has emerged, necessitating multidisciplinary approaches grounded in a deep understanding of cities’ complex dynamics, the development of innovative design solutions, and the use of appropriate research methods and tools.

Established in 2009, the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities (CSAC) brought together and leveraged the research expertise of the three departments within the School of Design and Environment (SDE) — Architecture, Building, and Real Estate — to address the complex challenges and opportunities of sustainable urban development. In 2022, SDE merged with the Faculty of Engineering to form the College of Design and Engineering (CDE), further broadening the Centre’s multidisciplinary capabilities.

Faculty members at CDE, both individually and through collaborative teams, have been active in environmental research for over a decade. Their work spans a wide range of areas, including heat island mitigation, greening of industrial estates, energy benchmarking and modeling, building environmental performance, green plot ratio, sustainable neighbourhoods, urban spaces, and other key aspects of sustainable cities. Faculty and students have also earned international acclaim by winning design competitions for green buildings and cities, demonstrating their ability to integrate critical environmental, social, and economic considerations into sustainable design at multiple scales.

The Centre serves as a platform for developing innovative urban planning and design solutions, as well as pioneering building technologies tailored for high-density environments — applications that are highly relevant to cities across Asia and other developing regions. As a research nexus, the Centre brings together the complementary strengths of researchers from across NUS to collaborate on interdisciplinary solutions for sustainable urban development. Faculty members from the Faculties of Science, Arts and Social Sciences, and the Asia Research Institute are also actively involved in many of the Centre’s research projects, further enriching its multidisciplinary approach.

CSAC complements national efforts led by Singapore’s Ministry of National Development by developing solutions and best practices that promote more sustainable and liveable cities. The Centre secured substantial government funding to collaborate with agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Housing and Development Board, Land Transport Authority, and National Parks Board on research projects. These initiatives aim to deliver outcomes that address pressing environmental issues while also considering broader social and economic impacts.

The Centre also collaborates with international universities, and has hosted research workshops and seminars to facilitate the exchange of ideas, develop innovative solutions, and share research findings. Through these activities, the Centre aims to advance knowledge in sustainable urban development, particularly with a focus on Asian cities, while shaping professional practice and influencing thought leadership in the field.