Stefan Al is an architect, urban designer, researcher, and TED resident. Early in his career, Stefan worked on the competition and design development of the 600-meter tall Canton Tower, briefly the world's tallest tower. As a senior associate partner at KPF, he has contributed to mixed-use & transit-oriented developments and high-rise towers across the globe. Currently, he teaches at Virginia Tech and runs his emerging design practice, Stefan Al Architects. In addition to his work as a designer, he has published seven books that explore the pressing design challenges and opportunities in our contemporary cities, such as climate change adaptation, informal settlement upgrading, and sustainable transit-oriented development. They have been widely acclaimed including by the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Record, The Times and NPR.  His co-authored book, Beyond Mobility: Planning Cities for People and Places, has won the National Urban Design Award. Stefan served in various professional capacities including as an advisor to the Hong Kong government, the Chinese government, and the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. He was also a professor and director of urban design at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Hong Kong. Stefan is a registered architect in New York state and the Netherlands and a LEED accredited professional. He has a PhD in city and regional planning from UC Berkeley, and Master's degree in architecture from University College London and Delft University of Technology, with honors.