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Global Urban History Project

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Cecilia L Chu
 
Basic Information
Affiliation
School of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong
Title
Associate Professor
Address
11A Namning Mansion

58-60 Bonham Road, Sai Ying Pun

Hong Kong,   
HKG


Additional Information
About My Work
I am an urban historian with a background in design and conservation. My research focus on the social and cultural processes that shape the forms and meanings of built environments, particularly in Asia. I am especially interested in the intersection of professional and popular knowledge of architecture and landscapes and how these articulations have contributed to city-making and urbanism.
Citations
Chu, Cecilia L. 2022. Building Colonial Hong Kong: Speculative Development and Segregation in the City. Planning, History and Environment Series. Routledge
[Recipient of the 2023 Best Book in Non-North American Urban History Award from the Urban History Association and the 2024 International Planning History Book Prize]

Chu, Cecilia L. and Shenjing He (eds.) 2022. The Speculative City: Emergent Forms and Norms of the Built Environment. University of Toronto Press.

Note: My current research projects include an investigation of the socio-technical histories of infrastructure in Hong Kong and a comparative study of heritage and conservation practices in Asia that have given rise to new interpretations of colonial histories.
Professional Associations
International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE)
International Planning History Society (IPHS)
Society of Architectural and Urban Historians (SAH)