Orlando WOODS
Professor of Geography; Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Education); Director, SMU Urban Institute; Pillar Lead, Urban Experiences
Orlando Woods joined SMU in 2017. He holds BA (First Class Honours) and PhD degrees in Geography from University College London and the National University of Singapore respectively. His interdisciplinary research agenda spans social, cultural and political geography; urban studies; new media and communications; and critical infrastructure studies. Empirically, his work focuses on South and Southeast Asia. Currently, he serves as Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Programmes) at the College of Integrative Studies, and Director of the SMU Urban Institute.
Qualifications
- PhD in Geography, National University of Singapore, 2012
- BA in Geography, University College London, 2006
Research Interests
- Religion
- Cities & Urban Landscapes
- Digital Technologies
- Space
- Social & Cultural Geography
- Critical Infrastructure Studies
- Smart Cities
- The Belt and Road Initiative
Course(s) Taught in SMU
- Big Questions
- Digital Cultures
- Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study
Research Areas and Areas of Expertise
Strategic Priorities
HighlightsCombines theoretical innovation in urban and religious geography with applied research on smart cities, digital cultures, and migration; recognized for bridging disciplinary boundaries and producing policy-relevant insights for urban governance, social cohesion, and environmental adaptation; recipient of Stanford University's World Top 2% of Scientists award (2023–2025); extensive leadership in research, editorial, and academic service roles.
Focused research areas include Critical urban studies (smart cities, urban governance, infrastructural politics); religion and space (religious pluralism, lived religion, faith mobilities); digital cultures (gaming, digital diasporas, online communities); migration, integration, and multiculturalism; environmental governance and ecological citizenship in Asian cities.
- 2026 - 2029 'Autonomizing Environmental Governance in Asian Cities: AI, Climate Change, and Frictional Urbanisms', MOE Academic Research Fund (Tier 2), S$803,738. Principal Investigator.
- 2025 - 2027 'Infrastructures of Care and Everyday Elderly Mobilities in Singapore', MOE Academic Research Fund (Tier 1, Partnerships Edition with SUTD), S$200,000. Principal Investigator.
- 2023 - 2024 'Education Infrastructures and Migrant Un/Belonging: Indian Students in Singapore', MOE Academic Research Fund (Tier 1, Partnerships Edition with the University of Toronto), S$69,750. Principal Investigator.
- 2022 - 2025 'Technocratic Regionalism in Southeast Asia: The Translational Politics of Smart City Knowledge Transfer', MOE Academic Research Fund (Tier 2), S$653,978. Principal Investigator.
- 2022 - 2025 'SPACE: Shaping Public Adaptive Capacity for Environmental Infectious Diseases', National Research Foundation Singapore, S$3,846,150. Co-Investigator.
Showing up to 6 latest publications from the past 5 years.
- O Woods, C ConnollyAnnals of the American Association of Geographers, 1-18, 2026
- N Chen, O WoodsGeoforum 169, 1-10, 2026
- P Das, O Woods, L KongGeoforum 170, 1-10, 2026
- E Grimley, P Das, O Woods, L KongTourism Geographies 28 (1), 102-121, 2026
- O Woods, B MahBrill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism Supplements Online, 1-10, 2026
- AI and the City [2026]P Das, O WoodsThe Routledge Handbook of Critical Urban Research, 2026
Orlando Woods joined SMU in 2017. He holds BA (First Class Honours) and PhD degrees in Geography from University College London and the National University of Singapore respectively. His interdisciplinary research agenda spans social, cultural and political geography; urban studies; new media and communications; and critical infrastructure studies. Empirically, his work focuses on South and Southeast Asia. Currently, he serves as Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Programmes) at the College of Integrative Studies, and Director of the SMU Urban Institute.
Qualifications
- PhD in Geography, National University of Singapore, 2012
- BA in Geography, University College London, 2006
Research Interests
- Religion
- Cities & Urban Landscapes
- Digital Technologies
- Space
- Social & Cultural Geography
- Critical Infrastructure Studies
- Smart Cities
- The Belt and Road Initiative
Course(s) Taught in SMU
- Big Questions
- Digital Cultures
- Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study
