Kheir Al-Kodmany is a professor of urban planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), USA. He has published several books and over 100 papers on the topics of vertical urbanism, sustainability, eco-towers, placemaking, high-rise suburbanism, vertical farming, eco-iconic skyscrapers, tall buildings, transitoriented-developments, urban design, Geographic Information Systems, and urban data visualization. According to ResearchGate, Dr. Al-Kodmany's publications are among the most read (â¼200,000 Reads). In the Urban Data Visualization Laboratory at UIC, he has developed 3D modeling, virtual reality, GIS, and webbased mapping survey tools and software for effective participatory planning and design. Dr Al-Kodmany was invited by several governments, mayors, and organizations to assist in urban planning and architectural projects. He conducted over 200 presentations of his research and lectured in renowned universities worldwide. Prof. Al-Kodmany also worked for the Chicago firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, where he designed major skyscrapers around the globe. Peng Du is an assistant professor and director of both Master of Urban Design - Future Cities (MUD) and MS in Geospatial Technology for the Geodesign programs at the College of Architecture and Built Environment in the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, USA. He has also served in several important roles at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), including director & board member of the Asia Headquarters, and a co-chair of the Council's Academic & Teaching Committee. His research focuses on net-zero buildings and cities, computational urban design, urban energy modeling, and urban data analytics, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches. Prior to joining Thomas Jefferson University, Dr Du taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Texas Tech University. He is a LEED-Accredited Professional and WELL-Accredited Professional. Mir M. Ali is professor emeritus and former long-time chairman of the Structures Division in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He was the chairman of CTBUH's Committee 30-Architecture and Group PA-Planning and Architecture overseeing eight committees of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), and the Founding Editor of the Council's first online CTBUH Review Journal. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and CTBUH. He was a TOKTEN Fellow of the United Nations. He was awarded ASCE's Millennium Challenge Prize for his winning essay on skyscrapers in a worldwide competition. He was invited by Fulbright Foundation who bestowed on him a Fulbright Award to study the feasibility of constructing tall buildings in Malta. He has authored/co-authored/ edited seven books and published numerous research papers and articles. He was interviewed by radio, television, and print media outlets including the New York Times, Toronto Star, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Architectural Record, Rolling Stones, Popular Science, Associate Press, Public Radio International, and many more.
