Stefan Rau, educated in Stuttgart, Bonn and Chicago is registered as urban planner and architect in Germany. He is director of the planning practice Metropolitan Synergies in Shanghai. He is a consultant to various institutions and governments predominantly in China. He is Guest Professor at Lanzhou University of Technology and is a frequent lecturer at several Chinese universities. He has published a number of articles and is a frequent speaker at international and Chinese urban planning conferences focusing on comprehensive urban eco-efficiency and aspects of its spatial integration in planning, environmental and city design.

Stefan’s international project experience covers works in Germany and Central Europe, North America, East- and South-East Asia. His previous engagements include being senior planner in offices of SOM Chicago/Shanghai, HOK Hongkong/Shanghai, Murphy/Jahn Chicago/Berlin. Project involvements include large-scale, long-term strategic plans. Project planning work in urban and environmental design has been emphasizing the interdisciplinary integration of urban design. Project types include walkable, high density mixed-use urban districts served by public transit, residential areas integrating ecological infrastructures, industrial parks integrating process chains to promote industrial synergies, waterfront developments, urban revitalization, eco-tourism zones and resorts, green city parks and eco-efficient new towns as well as environmental assessment and implementation policies such as zoning reform.

Stefan has been promoting several initiatives with Chinese institutions and governments on eco-efficiency standardization and urbanization management. These include upgrading rural areas, urban and rural integration, strategic strengthening of emerging third-tier metropolises in central China and the proposal of a large scale system of national parks to balance and guide urbanization in the world’s most populated region of the China Coast.