Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Advancing the Dialogue between Cities and International Law

“It is such a joy to have intellectually stimulating papers with a group of great people. Southeast Asian cities’ data centres struggle, Colombo’s Port City controversy, Hong Kong’s city planning under colonial rules, Bangkok’s sky exposure regulation, these are just some extremely interesting examples we discussed over the past two days.”

With these words, Professor Nengye Liu (Singapore Management University) captured the spirit of the workshop Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia, held on 2–3 November 2026 at Singapore Management University (SMU).

Jointly organised by the ILA Committee on Urbanisation and International Law, SMU and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, the workshop brought together scholars from different backgrounds to explore the multiple intersections between Asian cities and international law.

Building on the first workshop held in July 2025, this second edition addressed a wide range of issues, from urban planning and infrastructure to climate change, environmental governance and the role of cities in regional and global governance. The diverse case studies discussed over the two days highlighted the distinctive experiences of Asian cities and their contribution to broadening current debates on urbanisation and international law, often challenging perspectives predominantly shaped by European and North American experiences.

The workshop was another important step in developing the Committee's comparative research agenda and strengthening international academic dialogue on the role of cities in the international legal order.

The Committee wishes to express its sincere gratitude to Professor Nengye Liu for his initiative and outstanding work in organising and hosting the workshop. We also warmly acknowledge the contribution of Professor Helmut Aust, Co-Chair of the Committee, and Professor Orlando Woods (SMU), as well as the teams at SMU and the Max Planck Institute for their valuable support.

We look forward to continuing this stimulating academic exchange!