Nicholas You

Director, Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation

Nicholas You is a veteran urban specialist and thought leader. Prior to his retirement he was the senior policy and planning advisor to UN-Habitat and the manager of the Habitat II Conference held in Istanbul in 1996. He is the founder and honorary chairman of the UN-Habitat World Urban Campaign Steering Committee, former chairman of the Assurance Group for Urban Infrastructure of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, former Chairman of the Urban Strategy and Innovation Council for ENGIE and former co-President of the Global Cities Business Alliance. He is currently the Executive Director of the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation, the, and co-Chair of the Open Green City Lab in Shenzhen. He also serves as member of the board of the Huairou Commission, the Joslyn Institute for Sustainable Communities, and adjunct for the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore. He regularly advises central and local governments, technology companies, utilities and civil society organisations on urban sustainability, urban governance and urban innovation including the nexus between water, waste, transport and energy. He also works as a strategic planning and governance advisor to many metropolitan authorities worldwide.