Alain is Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Planning and Design. He is the Programme Director of the Master of Urban Design. Before joining the University of Hong Kong, he was Senior Lecturer in Urban Design at the Cardiff University’s School of Geography and Planning.

His research interests are in spatial and urban design in relation to economic, social and environmental impacts, using spatial network design analysis to understand design properties of activity location systems of large conurbations in the USA, UK, France and China. At Cardiff University, he led the conceptual development of spatial design network analysis software (sDNA, http://www.cardiff.ac.uk./sdna/).

Alain was previously Executive and Board Director at the global consultancy Space Syntax Ltd. where he directed large scale projects concerning spatial policy analysis, urban design policy formulation and evidence-based spatial design in major cities including Paris, London, Boston, Shanghai. Clients included Greater London Authority and the London Boroughs. He has advised leading international urban design practices such as ARUP Associates, Atelier Jean Nouvel, Farrell & Partners, Foster + Partners, Gehry Partners, Herzog and de Meuron, Hopkins, Martha Schwarz & Partners, and Make.

At Space Syntax, he developed and led innovative services and operational research projects. He was Senior Research Fellow at University College London (2000-09). His work has been widely published in international professional journals. In the UK he has been member of various research project advisory panels at national level. Currently he is on the advisory scientific committee of Efficacity a French R&D PPP centre dedicated to energy transition in urban territories that brings together the skills of over 100 researchers from industry and public research.

He is a founding director of the international CHORA Urban Institute, and an advisor to national research funding institutions in Europe, North America and Asia.