ITDP is pleased to announce new leadership in our east and southeast Asia region. Richard Liu joins our team as Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia. Richard will be based in Guangzhou, at ITDP China’s offices, and will also provide oversight and guidance to our projects in Indonesia, working with ITDP Indonesia Director Yoga Adiwinarto.  Richard will also oversee projects throughout the region.

“Richard is a great fit for us. He shares our vision for sustainable, equitable cities, and brings a strong vision for sustainable transport in Southeast Asia, a talent for developing partnerships, and solid knowledge of transport planning and urban development,” says Clayton Lane, ITDP CEO, “We’re thrilled to have Richard on board in this key role as we look to scale up our contributions in this important and fast-changing part of the world.”

Richard has been working with ITDP since 2013 in his former role as a Program Officer in the Environment Program at the Oak Foundation, one of ITDP’s key donors, and was drawn to ITDP for what he sees as unique combination of “highest-level expertise coupled with rich local expertise that ITDP delivers worldwide”. Richard also cited the ITDP’s on-the-ground presence and proven track record of seeing projects from conception to implementation, which separates ITDP from other NGOs working in the same area.

At the Oak Foundation, Richard developed, monitored, and provided strategic direction for a grantmaking pipeline and portfolio on climate mitigation in developing nations. Previously, he was a specialist with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Beijing, and a principal consultant to the American Planning Association. Richard got his start working as a planner with government agencies in Florida and Texas. He holds a bachelor of architecture from Tianjin University in China and a master of urban planning from the State University of New York.