Mingming Hu applies industrial ecology methods to support the sustainable transition of the built environment. She obtained her PhD in May 2010 with the dissertation Dynamic Material Flow Analysis to Support Sustainable Built Environment Development. Her doctoral research revealed the long-term oscillation pattern of China’s construction sector, projecting a sharp decline in housing demand from around 2020 to 2050 and a sustained increase in demolition waste throughout the 21st century. These projections have proven remarkably prescient, as China has entered the “post-overbuilding era” she identified more than a decade ago.

More information about Mingming Hu

Professional Experience

Mingming Hu is an Associate Professor in Industrial Ecology whose research applies quantitative sustainability assessment to support the transition towards carbon-neutral, circular, and climate-resilient built environment. Drawing on an interdisciplinary background in building engineering, construction management, and environmental science, she develops scientific insights and practical tools to advance sustainable urban development.

Mingming obtained her PhD in Environmental Science from Leiden University in 2010 with the dissertation Dynamic Material Flow Analysis to Support Sustainable Built Environment Development: Case Studies on Chinese Housing Stock Dynamics. Prior to this, she earned an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Chongqing Jianzhu University (China), where she specialized in ground-source heat pump systems. Before joining CML in 2006, she worked for five years at the Chongqing Construction Commission, overseeing environmental infrastructure projects.

Her research integrates dynamic Material Flow Analysis (dMFA), Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis (LSCA), and spatial analysis to understand how buildings, infrastructure, materials, and urban systems evolve over time. In her doctoral research, she projected the long-term dynamics of China’s construction sector, forecasting declining housing demand and increasing demolition waste decades before these trends became evident.

Mingming’s current research focuses on three interconnected themes: built environment metabolism, circular construction supply chains, and spatial opportunities for urban sustainability. Her work addresses topics such as building stock dynamics, circular construction hubs, urban green infrastructure, and resilient cities, with the aim of accelerating the transition towards resource-efficient, resilient and biodiverse urban systems.

She has played a leading role in numerous European and international research projects and has contributed significantly to two decades of collaboration between CML and Chinese research partners. She currently leads projects including ReSURE2 on urban resilience, CirCol on circular collaboration in the built environment, and RAW, an EU Pathfinder project on the bio-based and circular transition of the architecture, engineering, and construction sector.

Previously, she initiated and coordinated several major Sino-Dutch projects including SIP project on industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency, and the Multigreen project, which supports greener, climate-resilient cities in both countries (See video). The partnership continues through the FOREWARD project, where the Netherlands and China work jointly to improve their water systems. She also initiated a series of European Horizon projects, including ICEBERG, HISER and VEEP, on construction and demolition waste recycling, and the EU FP7 C2CA project on concrete recycling, the Asia-Link ProtEA project on dynamic material flow analysis, the Dutch InnoMan project on waste management methodologies. In addition to her work at Leiden University, Mingming supervises graduate students at Chongqing University, where she holds a visiting scientist position.

Publications